THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 

From  the  collection  of 
Julius  Doerner,  Chicago 

A % f ^ 

Purchased,  1918. 

223 

P94 


f * ■ ■ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/proverbsecclesiaOOcowl 


Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes, 


AND 

The  Song  of  Solomon, 

WITH  NOTES, 


CRITICAL , EXPLANATORY,  AND  PRACTICAL, 


DESIGNED  FOR  BOTH  PASTORS  AND  PEOPLE. 


REV.  HENRY  COWLES,  D.  D. 


u CJnderstandest  thou  what  thou  readest?  And  he  Raid, -How  can  1 except  somo 
man  should  guide  me?”— Acts  viii,  30,  31. 


NEW  YORK: 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY, 

64  9 & 661  BROADWAY. 

1878. 


Entered,  according  to  Adi  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 
REV.  HENRY  COWLES, 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  Distridl  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the 
Northern  Distridl  of  Ohio. 


a.Tn^H. 


PREFACE  TO  PROVERBS  AJND  ECCLESIASTES. 


Passing  from  the  Old  Testament  Prophets  to  Solomon,  I am  im- 
pressed here  also  with  the  conviction  that  the  full  sense  of  this  in- 
spired author  is  not  ordinarily  reached  by  the  mass  of  readers; 
that  Solomon  has  more  beautiful  and  worthy  thought  than  is  com- 
monly supposed,  and  also  more  profound  wisdom  and  counsel  to- 
ward a virtuous  and  happy  life.  Animated  by  the  hope  of  render- 
ing some  aid  to  the  student  of  these  divine  oracles,  I have  endeav- 
ored first  to  gain  the  precise  significance  of  every  verse,  and  then 
to  present  it  in  a form  at  once  simple,  lucid,  and  forcible.  As  the 
only  method  that  could  promise  success,  I have  sought  to  find  the 
author’s  precise  meaning  by  studying  the  language  in  which  he 
wrote — the  very  words  which  he  has  sent  down  to  us ; yet  my 
criticisms  upon  the  original  have  been  introduced  in  these  Notes 
only  when  it  seemed  to  be  demanded  to  justify  the  conclusions 
which  I have  reached.  I send  forth  these  Notes  on  the  Proverbs 
of  Solomon  in  the  hope  that  they  will  be  specially  useful  to  the 
young — a hope  which  so  manifestly  filled  the  bosom  of  Solomon 
when  he  wrote  them  and  addressed  so  many  portions  of  them  in 
the  touching  words,  “ My  Son.”  0 might  his  words  go  to  the  heart 
of  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of  our  land  who  are  now  shaping 
their  habits  for  life,  settling  their  principles,  and  thus  casting  the 
mold  of  their  eventful  future  ! 

In  my  studies  upon  Ecclesiastes  my  main  effort  has  been  to 

(0 

619334 


11 


PREFACE. 


evolve  the  animus  and  aim  of  the  book  from  the  known  circum- 
stances of  the  author,  from  his  personal  experiences  and  his  mani- 
fold relationships  to  the  great  society  of  the  civilized  world.  If  I 
mistake  not,  this  book,  studied  in  the  light  of  these  facts  of  his  his- 
tory, will  develop  more  self-consistent  unity,  and  more  fitness, 
beauty,  and  moral  power  than  have  been  often  recognized. 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  Feb.  1870. 


PROVERBS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  Author. — This  book  is  attributed  (chap.  1 : 1)  to  Solomon, 
who  was  the  son  of  David  and  his  successor  on  the  throne  of  Is- 
rael. The  book  itself  makes  the  last  two  chapters  an  exception, 
ascribing  chap.  30  to  one  Agur,  and  chap.  31  to  a certain  king  Lem- 
uel and  his  mother.  The  fact  that  while  the  book  in  general  is 
ascribed  to  Solomon,  these  special  exceptions  and  these  only  ap- 
pear in  the  book  itself,  is  presumptive  evidence  that  all  the  rest  is 
the  work  of  Solomon,  and  was  so  regarded  by  the  original  com- 
pilers. A distinct  notice  of  this  work  of  compilation  appears  in 
the  opening  of  chap.  25,  which  is  justly  supposed  to  include  the 
five  chapters  immediately  following  (25-29)  as  having  been  col- 
lected and  compiled  (“copied  out”)  by  certain  men  assigned  to 
this  service  by  king  Hezekiah. 

The  history  of  Solomon  should  be  carefully  studied,  both  for  its 
bearing  on  the  question  of  the  authorship  of  this  book,  and  for 
the  light  it  will  afford  toward  its  interpretation.  This  history  is 
recorded  1 Kings,  chapters  1-11,  and  1 Chron.,  chapters  22,  23, 
28,  29,  and  2 Chron.,  chapters  1-9.  The  salient  points  of  this  his- 
tory are  that,  coming  to  the  throne  in  his  youth,  he  found  the  gov- 
ernment well  organized;  the  nation  eminently  prosperous;  its  ter- 
ritories extended  far  beyond  the  original  limits  of  Palestine,  even 
from  the  Euphrates  on  the  east  to  the  border  of  Egypt  on  the 
south-west;  its  ancient  enemies  subdued,  and  the  nation  enjoying 
uninterrupted  peace.  Consequently  he  had  every  facility  for  giving 

(Hi) 


IV 


INTRODUCTION. 


his  attention  to  the  arts  of  peace.  It  seems  that  his  own  genius  led  him 
especially  to  the  study  of  natural  science  and  of  ethical  philosophy. 
His  father,  amid  the  scenes  of  a life  full  of  adventure,  peril,  war, 
and  political  organization,  had  yet  found  both  the  heart  and  the 
time  to  write  a most  precious  volume  of  lyric  poetry — indeed,  tc 
open  a new  era  of  sacred  music  and  song,  and  to  organize  and 
establish  an  entirely  new  department  of  religious  worship  in  con- 
nection with  the  public  service  of  the  sanctuary.  With  this  great 
example  before  him,  Solomon  gave  himself  to  philosophical  studies 
and  developed  a new  department  of  sacred  literature — that  of 
moral  philosophy  expressed  in  proverbs.  So  far  as  appears  in  He- 
brew history,  this  was  untrodden  ground — a field  of  literary  labor 
no  less  original  for  him  than  that  of  lyric  poetry  and  sacred  song 
had  been  to  his  venerable  father.  The  historian  makes  special 
note  of  his  works  in  this  department  of  literature.  “He  spake 
three  thousand  proverbs  and  his  songs  were  one  thousand  and  five  ” 

(1  Kings  4:  32). Natural  history  also  received  his  attention. 

“He  spake  of  trees,  from  the  cedar  tree  that  is  in  Lebanon  even 
unto  the  hyssop  that  springeth  out  of  the  wall:  he  spake  also 
of  beasts  and  of  fowls,  and  of  creeping  things  and  of  fishes  ” 
(v.  33).  But  especially  does  the  history  dwell  upon  his  unparal- 
leled wisdom.  We  are  not  left  to  infer  that  this  wisdom  was 
merely  an  original  talent,  developed  by  culture,  but  the  historian 
attributes  it  especially  to  the  gift  of  God.  “God  gave  Solomon 
wisdom  and  understanding  exceeding  much,  and  largeness  of  heart, 
even  as  the  sand  that  is  upon  the  sea-shore.  And  Solomon’s  wisdom 
excelled  the  wisdom  of  all  the  children  of  the  east  country  and 

all  the  wisdom  of  Egypt”  (1  Kings  4:  29,  30). Wisdom,  as  a 

special  fitness  for  ruling  well  a great  people,  was  the  one  gift  chosen 
by  Solomon  before  all  other  gifts — a choice  eminently  pleasing  to 
God,  so  that  he  not  only  granted  it,  but  superadded  the  other 
things  which  Solomon’s  choice  had  left  out  as  of  secondary  value. 

Such  was  the  man  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  Book 

of  Proverbs  as  its  author.  We  have  here  not  far  from  five  hun- 
dred out  of  the  “three  thousand”  given  as  the  number  of  his 
proverbs.  Why  they  are  not  all  brought  into  this  collection;  why 
some  that  we  have  are  repeated;  why  the  same  subject  recurs  not 
unfrequently  in  more  or  less  modified  form — these  and  similar  ques- 
tions may  be  subjects  for  speculation — they  can  be  nothing  more. 
Various  critics,  mostly  German,  have  denied  that  Solomon  could 


INTRODUCTION. 


V 


be  the  author  of  portions  of  the  first  twenty-nine  chapters.  Mak- 
ing great  account  of  what  they  call  internal  evidence,  they  assume 
to  fix  the  date  of  various  parts  of  the  book  at  least  two  centuries 
later  than  Solomon.  Their  reasoning  is  of  this  sort.  Finding  an 
allusion  (chap.  1 : 10-19)  to  highway  robbery,  they  say  the  gov- 
ernment was  well  organized  and  the  people  were  law-abiding 
during  the  reign  of  Solomon.  Therefore  no  such  life  could  have 
been  led  then , and  no  temptation  to  it,  such  as  is  assumed  in  these 

verses,  could  have  existed  then. But  it  may  be  answered,  When 

was  there  ever  a period  in  Arabian  history  when  such  scenes  were 
not  frequent  ? And  on  what  ground  can  it  be  assumed  that  Solo- 
mon could  not  know  the  ways  of  their  life  ? or  that  the  temptations 
to  such  “spoil”  did  not  come  before  the  young  men  of  Palestine 
with  the  growing  intercourse  between  Israel  and  the  outlying 
tribes,  which  intercourse  was  certainly  one  of  the  great  national 

features  of  Solomon’s  reign  ? Again,  they  say,  Solomon  doubtless 

wrote  the  portion,  chapters  10-22:  16,  for  this  is  unique,  consist- 
ing of  detached,  independent  proverbs,  the  entire  thought 
being  embraced  in  one  verse.  Hence  (they  argue)  this  was  his 
style  of  proverb,  and  therefore  he  never  wrote  proverbs  in  any 
other  style;  consequently  the  other  styles  of  the  proverb  which 
appear  in  the  first  nine  chapters  and  in  chapters  23  and  24,  were 

not  written  by  Solomon. But  how,  I ask,  does  this  appear?  Who 

knows  that  Solomon  wrote  no  other  sort  of  proverb  but  this  ? On 
what  authority  is  this  assertion  made  ? Certainly  it  is  by  no  means 
self-evident.  Those  critics  claim  no  historic  testimony  in  its  sup- 
port. So  far  as  I know  they  make  no  pretensions  to  supernatural 
inspiration  to  this  effect.  It  is,  therefore,  an  assertion  utterly 
without  proof.  What  hinders  that  Solomon  should  have  used  all 
the  different  modes  of  constructing  the  proverb  which  appear  in 

the  first  twenty-nine  chapters? Again  it  is  said  that  the  plural  of 

“ish”  (ishim)  can  not  have  been  written  before  the  times  of  Hez- 
ekiah;  therefore  the  passages  in  which  we  find  this  plural  could 

not  have  been  written  earlier  than  his  reign. But  how  do  they 

know  this?  The  utmost  they  can  say  is  that  (excepting  the  pas- 
sages in  dispute)  they  do  not  find  this  plural  form  in  any  extant 
Hebrew  of  an  earlier  date.  But  have  they  had  access  to  all  the 
Hebrew  that  was  written  prior  to  Hezekiah  ? And  even  if  they 
had,  have  they  also  a perfect  knowledge  of  the  spoken  Hebrew,  sc 
that  they  are  authorized  to  affirm  that  this  plural  form  was  nevei 


VI 


INTRODUCTION. 


either  spoken  or  written  prior  to  the  year  B.  C.  700?  Every 
scholar  knows  that  the  extant  Hebrew  of  a date  earlier  than 
Isaiah  is  very  small  in  amount — entirely  too  small  to  form  an 
adequate  basis  for  such  an  affirmation.  Such  positive  deductions 
drawn  from  so  very  limited  premises  are  puerile  and  quite  unwor- 
thy of  sensible  critics.  Again,  as  one  proof  of  a diversity  of 
authors  in  this  Book  of  Proverbs,  it  is  asserted  that  the  passage 
(24:  27-34)  which  commends  diligence  in  husbandry  was  written 

by  some  farmer,  and  never  by  a king. Indeed!  as  if  Solomon,  the 

wealth  and  glory  of  whose  kingdom  was  its  agriculture,  had  never 
noticed  the  look  of  the  fields  and  vineyards  of  the  slothful — had 
no  sense  of  the  value  of  industry  and  good  management  in  agri- 
culture, and  therefore  could  never  have  written  such  a passage ! 
He  who  spake  of  trees  from  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  to  the  hyssop ; 
who  was  master  of  botany  and  apparently  of  all  branches  of  nat- 
ural history — had  he  never  noticed  the  farms  in  the  land  of  Is- 
rael ? How  very  sage  are  such  reasonings  ! How  profound  such 
conclusions ! 

At  what  period  in  the  life  of  Solomon  these  proverbs  were  writ- 
ten, we  have  no  data  to  show.  If  we  may  suppose  that  the  some- 
what frequent  address,  “My  son”  ( e . g .,  1:  8,  10  and  2:  1 and  3: 
1 and  23  : 15, 19,  26,  etc.)  has  some  special  reference  toRehoboam, 
we  should  locate  those  proverbs  during  the  first  half  of  his  reign, 
corresponding  to  the  youth  of  Rehoboam.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  Solomon  reigned  forty  years  (1  K.  11 : 42)  and  that  Rehoboam 
was  forty-one  at  his  accession  (1  Kings  14:  21  and  2 Chron.  12: 
13).  Hence  he  was  a child  of  one  year  at  Solomon’s  accession  to 
the  throne. 

Of  the  nature  of  the  proverb  little  need  be  said.  The  intelligent 
reader  will  readily  catch  their  style.  Plainly  they  are  not  tied 
down  to  any  one  specific  form,  but  appear  with  considerable  lati- 
tude of  construction.  In  its  most  usual,  perhaps  normal,  form  the 
proverb  is  a brief,  sententious  maxim  or  saying,  naturally  conform- 
ing somewhat  to  the  laws  of  Hebrew  poetic  parallelism,  and  there- 
fore in  two  parts,  one  of  which  is  usually  antithetic  to  the  other. 
Thus  (10:  1)  “A  wise  son  makes  a glad  father;  a foolish  son,  a 
heavy-hearted  mother.”  The  first  half  gives  the  wise  son;  the 
second,  the  foolish.  The  joy  of  the  father  in  the  former  is  set 
over  against  the  grief  of  the  mother  in  the  latter.  This  antithetic 
position  makes  the  thought  more  distinct.  Contrast  heightens  its 


INTRODUCTION. 


yii 

force. This  antithesis  is  not  always  apparent  without  close  and 

searching  attention.  It  may  lie  between  what  is  affirmed  in  one 
clause  and  what  is  merely  implied  in  the  other.  Proverbs  of  this 
class  are  a sort  of  enigma  or  riddle,  “a  dark  saying”  (1:  6),  de- 
signed to  test  the  sagacity  and  tax  the  wits  of  the  reader,  and  so 
heighten  his  interest  and  perhaps  deepen  the  impression  of  the 
truth  when  he  has  searched  it  out — akin  to  that  peculiar  relish 
which  boys  find  in  nuts  that  are  hard  to  crack.  Thus  in  the 
proverb  (10:  8),  “The  wise  in  heart  will  receive  instruction,  but 
a prating  fool  shall  fall,”  there  is  a double  antithesis:  (1),  The 
wise-hearted  man  (instead  of  prating  perpetually  himself)  hears 
and  receives  advice;  while  the  fool  prates  with  deaf  ears:  and 
(2)  The  wise  man  (it  is  implied)  lives  and  prospers  by  means  of 
the  wise  counsels  which  he  both  hears  and  obeys ; while  the  prat- 
ing fool,  neither  hearing  nor  heeding  counsel,  falls  into  reme- 
diless ruin — this  secondary  antithesis  lying  between  what  is 
affirmed  of  the  fool  and  what  is  left  to  be  inferred  of  the  wise. 
This  proverb  is  a “dark  saying”  to  the  reader  until  he  has 
studied  out  this  implied  idea  and  has  thus  reached  the  full  sense. 
So  in  10:  16,  “The  labor  of  the  righteous  tendeth  to  life;  the 
fruit  of  the  wicked  to  sin,”  you  get  the  full  antithesis  and  there- 
fore the  true  sense,  only  when  you  have  filled  it  out — “ The  fruit 
of  the  wicked  to  sin” — and  consequently  to  death . The  one,  being 
righteous,  works  toward  life  and  blessedness;  the  other,  being 
wicked,  toward  sin  and  its  inevitable  result,  death.  This  tacit 
assumption  that  sin  weds  itself  to  death  and  surely  brings  death 
in  its  train,  illustrates  the  point  of  special  beauty  and  force  in 

this  class  of  proverbs. There  is,  however,  a considerable  range 

of  diversity  in  the  manner  of  making  up  these  proverbs.  Some 
of  them  are  comparisons;  “As  vinegar  to  the  teeth,  and  as  smoke 
to  the  eyes,  so  is  the  sluggard  to  them  that  send  him”  (10:  26). 
Or  the  comparison  is  blended  with  the  antithetic  arrangement; 
“As  the  whirlwind  passeth,  so  is  the  wicked  no  more;  but  the 
righteous  is  an  everlasting  foundation ;”  where  the  passing  away 
of  the  wicked  is  first  compared  to  a whirlwind,  and  then  put  in 
contrast  with  the  enduring  life  and  blessedness  of  the  righteous. 

The  proverb  proper  is  complete  in  a single  verse.  Of  this 

sort  are  those  which  stand  in  chap.  10-22:  16.  But  in  the  first 
nine  chapters,  and  also  in  the  last  seven,  the  same  subject  is 
usually  continued  through  two  or  more  successive  verses. 


viii 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  Book  of  Proverbs  differs  widely  in  one  respect  from  vari- 
ous collections  of  a somewhat  similar  nature  which  have  ap- 
peared in  other  nations  at  diverse  periods.  The  latter  have  first 
gained  currency  among  the  common  people,  approved  and  admired 
because  in  harmony  with  the  popular  feeling  and  touching  the 
national  heart.  At  length  some  mere  compiler  (not  author)  gath- 
ered them  into  a volume. But  this  Book  of  Proverbs  (with  the 

limited  exceptions  above  noted)  appears  to  be  the  product,  not  of 
the  popular  taste  and  of  various  minds,  but  of  one  gifted  mind — 
at  once  their  originator  and  their  writer.  I base  this  judgment 
upon  the  manifest  unity  of  thought,  sentiment,  and  style,  which 
obtains  throughout;  upon  the  obvious  correspondence  between  the 
book,  and  the  character  and  circumstances  of  Solomon,  as  given 
in  Jewish  history;  and  upon  the  apparent  paucity  of  such  pro- 
verbs in  Hebrew  speech,  oral  or  written,  anterior  to  Solomon. 
His  extraordinary  reputation  for  wisdom,  and  its  strong  endorse- 
ment by  the  sacred  historian,  indicate  him  to  be,  not  the  compiler 
of  other  men’s  proverbs,  but  the  author  and  writer  of  his  own. 
These  remarks  bear  upon  their  origin,  as  seen  on  its  human  side 
and  by  no  means  ignore  but  rather  provide  for  their  true  inspira- 
tion.  It  does  not  appear  that  Solomon  compiled  these  proverbs 

in  their  present  form  throughout.  When  and  by  whom  they 
were  compiled,  we  know  only  in  part.  The  three  thousand  prov- 
erbs which  he  spake  (1  K.  4:  32)  are  not  all  here;  indeed,  only 
about  one-sixth  part  are  here;  but  who  made  the  selection  of 
those  now  standing  in  the  first  twenty-four  chapters,  we  are  not 
told.  The  compilers  of  chapters  25-29,  we  may  presume,  are  in- 
dicated (25:  1)  as  “the  men  of  Hezekiah” — i.  e.,  men  designated 
by  him  for  this  service.  Their  names  are  not  given.  Whether 
Isaiah  was  active  in  this  suggestion  or  in  the  labor  itself,  we  are 
not  told.  We  know  that  he  was  in  active  life  during  that  reign; 

Micah  also,  and  other  worthy  and  capable  men. Of  the  authors 

of  the  last  two  chapters  nothing  is  known  certainly  beyond  their 

names. Let  it  suffice  us  that  the  Lord  commissioned  inspired 

men  to  make  up  the  canon  of  Jewish  sacred  books  which  was 
divinely  commended  to  the  conscientious  reception,  the  reverent 
study,  and  the  diligent  observance,  of  his  people  in  all  ages.  This 
responsibility  was  borne  by  a series  of  prophets,  beginning,  so  far 
as  we  know,  with  Moses,  and  ending  with  Ezra  and  his  associates, 
and  perhaps  his  immediate  successors. 


INTRODUCTION. 


IX 


The  references  to  this  Book  of  Proverbs  in  the  New  Testament 
deserve  notice.  They  are  somewhat  numerous,  hut  in  general  are 
not  designated  as  quotations.  The  sacred  writers  use  the  hook 
as  it  was  made  to  be  used — that  is,  for  the  value  of  its  maxims 
of  wisdom.  For  the  best  of  reasons  they  did  not  look  to  it  for 
prophecies  to  he  quoted  as  fulfilled  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  But 
they  did  find  here  maxims  of  wisdom  for  use  in  human  life.  In 
one  passage  (Heh.  12:  5)  the  words  found  (Prov.  3:  11,  12)  are 
referred  to  as  an  “exhortation  which  speaketh  to  you  as  unto 
children,”  and  which,  therefore,  must  have  been  recognized  as 
their  accredited  teacher;  i.  e .,  as  being  words  “spoken”  in 
their  sacred  books.  The  writer  to  the  Hebrews  would  say — 
“ My  afflicted  brethren,  how  can  you  forget  that  those  im- 
pressive words,  ‘Despise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the  Lord,’ 
are  addressed  to  children,  to  sons?  ‘My  son,  despise  not,’ 

etc.  You  recollect  the  passage  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs.” The 

common  form  of  reference  to  the  proverb  appears  in  Peter’s 
words  (1  Eps.  4:  8),  “Above  all  things  have  fervent  charity 
among  yourselves;  for  charity  shall  cover  the  multitude  of  sins” — 
words  taken  from  Prov.  10:  12,  “Love  covereth  all  sins.”  So 
also  Prov.  25  : 21,  22  appear  in  Rom.  12:  20,  and  the  sentiment 
of  Prov.  17 : 13  about  rewarding  evil  for  good  appears  in  similar 
words  Rom.  12:  17  and  1 Thess.  5:  15. 

This  Book  of  Proverbs  is  pre-eminently  rich  in  its  lessons  of 
practical  wisdom.  It  teaches  both  the  young  and  the  old  how 
to  live  in  this  world,  resisting  most  effectually  its  temptations, 
shunning  its  snares,  escaping  its  dangers,  and  insuring,  in  largest 
measure,  the  good  it  offers  here  and  hereafter.  The  beauties  of 
its  imagery,  the  force  of  its  words,  the  power  of  its  solid  and 
earnest  thought,  are  things  to  be  admired,  and  may  fitly  com- 
mand our  attention  as  we  proceed;  but  these  elements  of  beauty 
and  fitness  should  never  tempt  us  to  neglect  the  moral  applica- 
tion of  these  maxims  of  superlative  wisdom.  Let  every  reader 
see  to  it  that  the  way  of  life  and  peace,  delineated  with  such  ex 
quisite  beauty  and  force,  shall  become  truly  the  way  of  his  own 
feet  and  the  choice  of  his  own  heart.  For  what  avails  it  to  know 
the  way  of  wisdom  and  life,  and  yet  choose  the  way  of  folly  and 
death  ? 


PROVERBS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  author  opens  with  an  introduction  to  the  entire  book.  He 
gives  his  aim  and  object  (vs.  1-7),  exhorts  the  young  to  regard 
the  counsels  of  their  parents  (vs.  8,  9);  admonishes  his  young 
friend  especially  against  the  temptations  to  robbery  (vs.  10-19); 
and  closes  with  the  call  of  Wisdom  (vs.  20-23),  and  the  fearful 
retribution  that  must  come  upon  those  who  will  not  heed  her  call 
(vs.  24-33). 

1.  The  Proverbs  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David,  king  of 
Israel ; 

2.  To  know  wisdom  and  instruction;  to  perceive  the 
words  of  understanding; 

3.  To  receive  the  instruction  of  wisdom,  justice,  and  judg- 
ment, and  equity ; 

4.  To  give  subtilty  to  the  simple,  to  the  young  man 
knowledge  and  discretion. 

5.  A wise  man  will  hear,  and  will  increase  learning ; and 
a man  of  understanding  shall  attain  unto  wise  counsels ; 

6.  To  understand  a proverb,  and  the  interpretation:  the 
words  of  the  wise,  and  their  dark  sayings. 

With  obvious  fitness  the  author  begins  with  a clear  statement 
of  his  objects,  viz. : To  help  the  reader  to  the  knowledge  of  Avis- 
dom;  to  impart  useful  instruction;  to  give  just  ideas  of  moral 

rectitude;  to  settle  grave  questions  of  right  and  wrong. In  v. 

4,  “ subtilty”  must  not  be  taken  in  its  bad  sense,  of  cunning, 
craftiness;  but  in  the  sense  of  sharp  and  clear  discrimination  and 

just  apprehension;  sagacity. The  u simple,”  here  as  usually  in 

the  writings  of  Solomon,  are  the  open-hearted  and  unsuspecting 
who  are  accessible  to  every  social  influence,  and  therefore  easily 

(ii) 


12 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  I. 


seduced  into  evil  ways. — — He  proceeds  to  say  that  every  wise 
man  wili  hear  good  counsel  and  will  make  acquisitions  of  solid 
wisdom  and  of  all  useful  knowledge,  so  as  to  understand  proverbs 
and  those  brief  and  condensed  maxims  which  require  skill  for 
their  interpretation.  The  “dark  sayings”  of  the  wise  are  those 
deep  abstruse  maxims  which  purposely  task  the  ingenuity  of  the 
reader  in  order  to  fix  their  rich  thought  more  deeply  in  his  mind. 

7.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  knowledge : 
but  fools  despise  wisdom  and  instruction. 

This  verse  belongs  properly  to  the  introduction,  giving  very 
appropriately  the  state  of  mind  in  which  wisdom  should  be  sought. 
The  “fear  of  the  Lord”  in  the  sense  of  Solomon  is  not  a slavish 
dread,  but  a reverential  and  filial  regard  in  which  love  blends  with 
profound  homage,  and  a respect  which,  as  related  to  God,  rises  to 
the  highest  reverence.  In  this  spirit  we  desire  above  all  things 
else  to  learn  and  to  do  all  our  Heavenly  Father’s  will.  The  les- 
sons of  heavenly  wisdom  are  therefore  cherished  with  warmest 
affection  and  sought  with  most  earnest  endeavor.  So  vital  is  this 
fear  of  the  Lord  to  the  acquisition  of  all  true  wisdom  that  it  may 
fitly  be  said  to  be  the  very  beginning  of  it,  the  starting  point ; the 
spirit  without  which  there  can  be  no  truly  honest  and  earnest 

pursuit  of  wisdom. Fools  may  be  known  by  their  despising 

wisdom  and  instruction.  In  this  their  folly  is  always  manifest. 
They  have  no  heart  for  wisdom ; they  respect  it  not,  and  therefore 
give  no  heed  to  learn  it,  much  less  still  to  obey  its  rules  of  duty. 

Solomon  would  say,  especially  to  his  youthful  readers:  Will 

you  go  with  me  into  this  study  of  all  wisdom  ? If  so,  then  begin 
with  implanting  deep  in  your  heart  and  cultivating  carefully  “ the 
fear  of  the  Lord.”  If  not,  then  know  ye  your  place  and  the  com- 
pany of  your  choice.  None  but  fools  despise  wisdom  and  instruc- 
tion. 

8.  My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father,  and  for 
sake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother : 

9.  For  they  shall  be  an  ornament  of  grace  unto  thy  head, 
and  chains  about  thy  neck. 

The  “law  of  the  mother”  includes  her  counsels  and  advice,  as 
well  as  authority.  Such  obedience  to  the  instructions  of  one’s 
father  is  a graceful  garland  to  the  head;  a necklace  to  the  bosom. 
“ Chains”  about  the  neck  are  not  thought  of  here  as  symbols  of 
hard  bondage,  but  of  beautiful  adornment.  And  truly ; for  what 
can  be  more  lovely  than  filial  respect  to  parents,  manifesting  itself, 
not  only  in  sympathy  with  their  feelings  and  kindly  ministrations 
to  their  wants,  but  in  prompt  regard  to  their  counsels  and  in  obe- 
dience to  their  authority  ? The  author  appropriately  places  this 
exhortation  at  the  head  of  this  precious  collection  of  the  precepts 
of  wisdom. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  I. 


13 


10.  My  son,  if  sinners  entice  thee,  consent  thou  not. 

11.  If  they  say,  Come  with  us,  let  us  lay  wait  for  blood, 
let  us  lurk  privily  for  the  innocent  without  cause : 

12.  Let  us  swallow  them  up  alive  as  the  grave;  and 
ttliole,  as  those  that  go  down  into  the  pit: 

13.  We  shall  find  all  precious  substance,  we  shall  fill 
our  houses  with  spoil : 

14.  Cast  in  thy  lot  among  us ; let  us  all  have  one  purse  : 

15.  My  son,  walk  not  thou  in  the  way  with  them  ; refrain 
thy  foot  from  their  path  : 

16.  For  their  feet  run  to  evil,  and  make  haste  to  shed 
blood. 

17.  Surely  in  vain  the  net  is  spread  in  the  sight  of  any 
bird. 

18.  And  they  lay  wait  for  their  own  blood;  they  lurk 
privily  for  their  own  lives. 

19.  So  are  the  ways  of  every  one  that  is  greedy  of  gain ; 
which  taketh  away  the  life  of  the  owners  thereof. 

Solomon  admonishes  the  young  to  shun  the  temptations  to  rob- 
Dery — the  prevailing  and  besetting  sin  of  freebooting  life.  The 
tempter  approaches  with  the  suggestion,  Let  us  get  up  an  expedi- 
tion for  murder  and  plunder;  let  us  advance  stealthily  and  fall 
suddenly  upon  some  rich  village  or  household ; let  us  swallow 
them  up  as  the  grave  does,  in  a moment,  remorselessly;  so  shall 
we  get  stores  of  wealth  without  labor  and  fill  our  houses  with 
plunder.  Thus  on  the  one  side  are  the  temptations  of  gain  with- 
out work  or  cost;  the  social  attractions  of  the  secret  fraternity 
and  the  love  of  bold  adventure ; the  sense  of  power  also,  and  the 
charm  of  witnessing  the  surprise  and  panic  of  the  defenseless, 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  Solomon  admonishes  his  young  friends 
that  those  feet  run  to  evil  and  hasten  to  the  shedding  of  blood  (v. 
16);  that  their  movements  may  be  anticipated  and  balked  by 
the  wariness  of  those  whom  they  would  fain  surprise  and  destroy 
(v.  17);  that  their  onset  may  recoil,  and  so  their  lying  in  wait 
will  be  for  their  own,  not  others’,  blood,  and  their  “ lurking  privily” 
will  cost,  not  others’  life,  but  their  own.  He  then  draws  the  broad 
conclusion — So  it  befalls  every  man  who  is  greedy  of  gain,  for 

such  greed  costs  the  life  of  those  who  thus  grasp  at  it. This 

conclusion  justifies  the  remark  that  this  form  of  sin  may  represent 
numerous  other  forms,  any  and  every  other  form  indeed  in  which 
the  social  element  is  strong  and  human  selfishness  riots  recklessly 

upon  other  men’s  interests  and  rights. Such  bold,  extreme 

wickedness  reacts  with  fearful  power.  They  who  thus  take  the 

sword  will  perish  (usually)  by  the  sword. Some  readers 

will  ask — How  came  Solomon  to  put  this  form  of  sin  in  the  fore- 
ground of  his  book?  Could  it  have  been  prevalent  in  the  land 
of  Israel  during  his  reign?  Were  not  the  restraints  of  law,  civ- 


14 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  I. 


ilization  and  religion  so  strong  then  and  there  as  to  preclude  the 
temptation  to  such  outrageous  violence  and  wrong?  I think  so, 
as  to  the  land  of  Israel  (See  1 Kings  4 : 25,  and  1 Chron.  22 : 9. ) 
But  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  kingdom  of  Israel  under 
Solomon  was  greatly  extended.  It  reached  even  to  the  Euphrates, 
embosoming  the  great  Arabian  countries,  as  said  by  the  historian : 
“Over  all  the  kings  on  this  side  the  river,”  i.  e.,  the  Euphrates 
(1  Kings  4 : 24).  In  those  vast  districts,  bold,  dashing  robbery  has 
been  common  in  all  ages.  The  extensive  commerce  of  Solomon, 
coupled  with  the  great  enlargement  of  his  dominions,  sent  many 
of  the  young  men  of  Israel  abroad,  and  hence  would  sometimes 
bring  them  under  the  temptation  to  these  sins  which  were  universal 

in  all  Arabian  lands. It  may  be  suggested  further  that  the 

great  routes  of  trading  caravans  in  the  age  of  Solomon  lay  through 
the  vast  desert  regions  of  Northern  Arabia,  past  “ Tadmor  in  the 
wilderness”  to  the  Euphrates;  and  through  Southern  Arabia  to 
the  Eastern  arm  of  the  Bed  Sea  at  Elath.  Along  such  routes  of 

commerce,  robber  bands  have  in  all  ages  been  wont  to  strike. 

The  reader  will  also  recall  various  scenes  in  the  early  history  of 
David  fleeing  before  king  Saul,  and  subsisting  himself  and  his  fol- 
lowers in  a course  of  life  which  paid  but  doubtful  regard  to  others’ 
rights  of  property  (1  Sam.  27).  Solomon,  in  our  passage,  would 
inaugurate  and  sustain  a better  type  of  civilization. 

20.  Wisdom  crieth  without;  she  uttereth  her  voice  in  the 
streets : 

21.  She  crieth  in  the  chief  place  of  concourse,  in  the 
openings  of  the  gates : in  the  city  she  uttereth  her  words, 
saying , 

22.  How  long,  ye  simple  ones,  will  ye  love  simplicity  ? 
and  the  scorners  delight  in  their  scorning,  and  fools  hate 
knowledge  ? 

23.  Turn  you  at  my  reproof:  behold,  I will  pour  out 
my  Spirit  unto  you,  I will  make  known  my  words  unto  you. 

By  a bold  but  beautiful  personification,  Wisdom  here  becomes  a 
person  with  a living  voice,  and  this  voice  lifted  up  in  all  public 
places  where  men  do  congregate,  expostulating  with  them  for  be- 
ing so  senseless  as  to  love  folly  and  delight  in  scorning,  and  hate 
knowledge.  Appropriately  she  implores  them  to  turn  at  her  re- 
proof.  If  we  bear  in  mind  that  the  fear  of  the  Lord  (true  piety) 

is  the  very  essence  and  sum  of  wisdom,  we  shall  readily  see  that 
this  imploring  voice  is  virtually  the  voice  of  God  himself.  Most 
certainly  it  is  the  God  of  retributive  justice  who  speaks  in  the 
verses  that  follow  (24-30)  and  who  there  says:  “I  have  called;” 
“ I have  stretched  out  my  hand;”  UI  will  laugh  at  your  calam- 
ity ;”  “ Then  shall  they  call  upon  me,  but  I will  not  answer,”  etc. 
The  voice  of  Wisdom,  addressing  men,  is  virtually  the  voice  of 
God.  It  is  God  speaking  in  his  kindness,  his  wisdom,  and  his 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  I. 


15 


.ove.  admonishing  and  warning  the  wayward  to  cease  from  folly 
and  become  truly  wise.  The  words  of  v.  23  are  specially  perti- 
nent considered  as  coming  from  the  lips  of  our  divine  Lord: 
u Behold  I will  pour  out  my  Spirit  unto  [upon]  you;  I will  make 
known  my  words  unto  you.”  In  the  fullness  of  his  love,  he  prom- 
ises to  give,  not  only  good  counsel,  but  (what  is  far  more)  the 
good  influence  of  his  own  Spirit  to  impress  his  truth  on  human 
hearts  and  so  change  them  from  sin  to  holiness.  This  is  one  of 
the  great  central  truths  of  the  New  Testament,  yet  far  from  being 

unknown  to  the  Old. Let  us  not  fail  to  notice  the  force  of  the 

expostulation  in  v.  22:  “How  long,  ye  simple  ones,  will  ye  love 
simplicity?”  etc.  Why  will  ye  perversely  take  delight  in  folly 
and  sin?  Why  will  ye  call  evil  good  and  good  evil,  and  still  labor 
to  find  solid  good  in  what  is  only  emptiness  and  vanity  ? Ah, 

why  so  madly  bent  on  ruin  ? The  forewarnings  of  that  ruin 

appropriately  follow.  The  spirit  of  wisdom  can  not  suppress  and 
withhold  such  forewarnings. 

24.  Because  I have  called,  and  ye  refused ; I have 
stretched  out  my  hand,  and  no  man  regarded ; 

25.  But  ye  have  set  at  naught  all  my  counsel,  and  would 
none  of  my  reproof: 

26.  I also  will  laugh  at  your  calamity;  I will  mock 
when  your  fear  cometh; 

27.  When  your  fear  cometh  as  desolation,  and  your  de- 
struction cometh  as  a whirlwind ; when  distress  and  anguish 
cometh  upon  you. 

28.  Then  shall  they  call  upon  me,  but  I will  not  answer ; 
they  shall  seek  me  early,  but  they  shall  not  find  me ; 

Here,  in  words  of  terrible  truthfulness  and  figures  of  appalling 
force,  we  have  the  idea  of  retribution.  Because  the  simple  ones 
will  love  their  simplicity  (folly),  and  scorners  will  still  delight  in 
scorning  and  fools  hate  knowledge;  because  they  will  not  turn 
to  Wisdom  at  the  voice  of  her  reproof;  because  they  will  still 
spurn  even  the  promised  grace  of  God’s  Spirit;  therefore,  when  the 
calls  of  love  have  been  spurned  full  long ; when  Mercy,  “ knowing 
her  appointed  bound,  has  turned  to  judgment  there,”  and  so  gives 
place  to  the  sternness  of  just  retribution;  then  the  awful  voice  de- 
clares, as  here — “ Because  I have  called  and  ye  have  refused, 
therefore  shall  ye  call,  but  I will  not  answer.”  The  repetition 
and  the  accumulation  of  strong  figures  heightens  the  force  of  the 
passage.  “I  have  stretched  out  my  hands”  in  imploring  earnest- 
ness, yet  no  man  regarded.  “Ye  have  set  at  naught  nay  counsel” 
in  utter  disregard ; “ye  would  none  of  my  reproof,”  i.  e.  ye  would 
not  accept  it,  ye  would  not  incline  your  will  to  heed  it.  And  now, 
because  of  your  stubborn  attitude  and  unyielding  repugnance,  I, 
even  I,  “will  laugh  at  your  calamity.”  Ye  have  laughed  in  scorn 
at  the  call  of  Wisdom ; ye  have  repelled  even  with  derision  the 


16 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  I. 


imploring  voice  of  God.  Now,  therefore,  God  will  turn  from  you. 
and  let  the  evils  you  fear  come  down  on  you  as  desolation  and 
your  destruction  break  upon  you  as  a whirlwind,  and  there  be  no 

power  to  stay  their  stroke  or  soften  its  severity. It  is  by  a 

strong  figure  that  Wisdom  says:  “I  will  laugh ;”  “I  will  mock;” 
the  form  of  expression  being  due  obviously  to  the  force  of  the 
antithesis.  Ye  have  laughed  and  mocked  at  my  words ; the  time 
has  come  when  I must  laugh  and  mock  at  yours.  The  idea  of 
retribution  is  thus  put  in  its  full  force.  Yet  it  must  not  be  so 
construed  as  to  conflict  with  the  solemn  oath  of  Jehovah  : “ As  I live, 
saith  the  Lord  God,  I have"  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked, 
but  that  the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live”  (Ezek.  33:  11). 
It  has  its  parallel  in  Psalms  2 : 4 : “ He  that  sitteth  in  the  heav- 
ens shall  laugh:  the  Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision.”  Their 
utmost  endeavors  are  infinitely  puny;  their  most  artful  plots  are 
ineffably  weak,  and  seem  only  to  provoke  the  contempt  of  the 
Almighty.  The  words  before  us  seem  to  exhaust  their  meaning 
in  the  awfully  solemn  assurance  that  God  will  never  swerve  from 
his  course  of  righteous  retribution,  but  will  make  the  reckless 
sinner’s  doom  inexorable  and  eternal!  Less  than  this  they  can 
not  mean:  more  than  this  they  need  not  imply.  The  idea  that 
God  takes  a malign  gratification  in  the  woe  of  even  the  guiltiest 

rebel  is  forever  precluded  by  the  nature  of  his  benevolence. 

Let  those  who  give  no  thought  to  prayer  now,  remember  that  they 
will  yet  one  day  cry  out  for  mercy;  but  it  may  be  too  late. 
“ Then  shall  they  call  upon  me,  but  I will  not  answer.  They  shall 
seek  me  early,”  i.  e.,  earnestly,  “but  they  shall  not  find  me.”  It 
is  unutterably  perilous  to  turn  a deaf  ear  to  God’s  call,  lest,  in 
the  retributions  of  justice,  he  be  compelled  to  shut  his  ear  to 
your  cry  in  the  day  of  your  calamity. 

29.  For  that  they  hated  knowledge,  and  did  not  choose 
the  fear  of  the  Lord: 

30.  They  would  none  of  my  counsel : they  despised  all 
my  reproof. 

31.  Therefore  shall  they  eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own 
way,  and  be  filled  with  their  own  devices. 

Retribution  appears  again,  but  more  briefly.  Sinners  are  spoken 
of,  and  not  (as  before)  spoken  to.  Because  [“for  that”]  they 
hated  knowledge  (the  knowledge  of  God,  true  wisdom),  and  did 
not  choose  (but  rejected)  the  fear  of  the  Lord — true  piety;  they 
would  not  receive  my  counsel  (literally,  “they  were  unwilling  as 
to  my  counsel,”  setting  their  will  stubbornly  against  it)  ; and  they 
despised  all  my  reproof;  therefore  they  must  take  the  legitimate 
consequences  of  their  chosen  course;  they  shall  be  sated  to  the 

full  with  their  own  counsel. The  word  translated  “ devices” 

is  one  of  a family  of  Hebrew  words  often  met  with  in  these  chap- 
ters, and  usually  translated  “counsel,”  in  the  sense  of  chosen 
plans  of  action  See  v.  30:  “They  would  none  of  my  counsel;” 


PROVERBS -CHAP.  I. 


17 


and  v.  25:  “Ye  have  set  at  naught  all  my  counsel.”  Because 
they  had  scorned  God’s  counsel,  he  will  let  them  have  their  fill, 
and  more,  of  their  own  counsels. 

Before  we  pass  on  from  these  words  of  God  respecting  the  retri- 
bution that  awaits  sinners,  let  us  note  that  the  same  doctrine  of 
retribution  i3  written  both  in  the  laws  of  man’s  physical  constitu- 
tion and  in  the  laws  which  provide  for  and  sustain  society.  These 
bodies  of  ours  cry  out  in  pain  against  abuse,  and  this  pain  is  none 
other  than  God’s  voice  of  wisdom,  saying:  “Turn  ye  at  my  re- 
proof.” Drunkenness,  gluttony,  incontinence,  excessive  indulgence, 
give  their  signals  of  warning,  and  whoever  persists  in  setting  at 
naught  such  counsels,  and  in  despising  all  such  reproof,  will  ere 
long  meet  a retribution  that  knows  no  mercy.  Many  a young  man, 
prematurely  broken  down  and  self-murdered,  cries  out  in  the  wail- 
ings of  his  agony,  but  no  ear  is  open  to  hear,  no  hand  is  stretched 
out  to  save.  The  heedless  youth,  who  makes  haste  unto  all  sensual 
indulgence,  soon  finds  that  he  has  made  haste  toward  a most  re- 
lentless retribution.  Wisdom  called;  he  only  scorned  her  call. 
But,  when  his  fear  came  as  desolation  and  his  destruction  as  a 
whirlwind,  his  wailing  cry  for  help  brought  no  arrest  of  judgment, 
and  could  not  stay  his  fearful  speed  to  ruin.  Ah,  indeed,  when 
Wisdom  speaks,  none  can  afford  to  miss  her  words,  much  less  to 

scorn  them ! In  the  same  way  society  asserts  her  laws  and 

enforces  her  retributions.  The  man  who  tramples  on  the  prop- 
erty rights  of  his  fellow  men,  by  schemes  of  fraud  or  robbery,  will 
surely  find  that  to  be  known  is  to  be  hated.  His  crimes  will  rise 
up  against  him  as  if  imbued  with  the  very  soul  of  retribution.  So 
also  men  who  outrage  the  rights  of  chastity  and  strike  down  all 
that  is  most  dear  in  virtuous  homes,  will  fire  up  the  sternest  indig- 
nation and  jealousy  which  human  hearts  ever  feel.  Beyond  a 
given  line  they  shall  find  no  mercy.  Society  can  not  bear  such 
outrages  upon  her  peace;  she  must  visit  on  such  offenders  her 
inexorable  retribution. 

32.  For  the  turning  away  of  the  simple  shall  slay  them, 
and  the  prosperity  of  fools  shall  destroy  them. 

33.  But  whoso  hearkeneth  unto  me  shall  dwell  safely, 
and  shall  be  quiet  from  fear  of  evil. 

The  simple  here  (as  above,  vs.  4,  22)  are  the  easily  tempted — 
the  same  class  who  are  “ fools”  in  the  parallel  clause  of  the  verse. 
Their  turning  away  from  Wisdom’s  call  is  their  ruin.  As  the 

word  “slay”  implies,  it  murders  them;  it  is  precisely  suicidal. 

The  word  “prosperity,”  used  here  of  “fools,”  is  rather  their  brut- 
ish apathy,  their  immovable  quietude,  an  insensibility  that  no  ap- 
peals of  Wisdom,  no  monitions  of  peril  and  danger,  can  arouse. 
This  works  their  destruction.  But  whoso  hearkeneth  to  Wisdom 
shall  dwell  in  safety  and  in  quiet,  fearless  of  evil.  It  is  the  very 
mission  of  Wisdom  to  forewarn  him  against  evil  and  lead  him  in  the 
ways  of  peace  and  safety.  God  is  to  him  a kind  and  careful  Father. 
Following  his  counsel  must  insure  all  prosperity  and  all  blessedness 


J8 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  n. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  writer,  commending  true  wisdom  strongly  and  laboring  tc 
lead  men  to  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  God,  promises  these  bless- 
ings to  those  who  earnestly  seek  them  (vs.  1-5),  because  the  Lord 
gives  wisdom  to  the  upright  and  thus  guards  their  way  against 
all  evil  (vs.  6-9).  When  wisdom  has  really  come  into  one’s  heart 
and  is  cherished  and  loved  there,  it  will  preserve  him  from  per- 
verseness (vs.  10-15),  and  from  the  adulterous  woman  whose  ways 
lead  to  death  (vs.  16-19),  for  the  upright  have  long  life  in  the 
promised  land,  but  the  wicked  are  soon  rooted  out  of  it  (vs.  20-22). 

1.  My  son,  if  thou  wilt  receive  my  words,  and  hide  my 
commandments  with  thee; 

2.  So  that  thou  incline  thine  ear  unto  wisdom,  and  apply 
thine  heart  to  understanding ; 

3.  Yea,  if  thou  criest  after  knowledge,  and  liftest  up  thy 
voice  for  understanding  ; 

4.  If  thou  seekest  her  as  silver,  and  searchest  for  her  as 
for  hid  treasures ; 

5.  Then  shalt  thou  understand  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and 
find  the  knowledge  of  God. 

The  precious  truths  taught  here  are  two-fold;  (1.)  Indirectly, 
that  true  wisdom  is  worthy  of  being  sought  with  the  utmost  dili- 
gence; and  (2.)  Directly,  that  such  seeking  will  insure  success. 
The  latter  truth  is  fragrant  with  hope  for  all  those  who  thirst 
for  the  knowledge  of  God  and  for  real  piety.  It  breathes  the 
sweet  assurance  that  those  who  seek  with  sincere  and  earnest 
heart  shall  find.  Let  them  seek  for  such  wisdom  as  men  seek 
for  silver;  let  them  search  as  men  are  wont  to  do  for  hid  treas- 
ures, and  their  labor  can  not  be  in  vain.  No  other  way  of  seek- 
ing for  wisdom  meets  the  conditions  of  success;  this  does.  No 
seeking  for  other  forms  of  good  is  sure  of  being  successful,  but 
such  seeking  for  heavenly  wisdom — the  greatest  and  best  good 
men  ever  can  seek — never  yet  failed  to  bring  the  good  sought, 
and  never  can.  So  seeking  “thou  shalt  understand  the  fear  of 
the  Lord  and  find  the  knowledge  of  God.”  The  Great  Father 
never  lets  his  lost  children  seek  for  him  with  earnest  longing 
heart,  in  vain!  Is  not  this  a glorious  truth,  beyond  measure  re- 
freshing? 

6.  For  the  Lord  giveth  wisdom : out  of  his  mouth  cometh 
knowledge  and  understanding. 

The  reason  why  the  promise  of  wisdom  to  the  earnest  seeker 
is  so  sure  appears  here;  viz. : because  it  is  the  Lord  who  gives  it ; 
it  comes  from  his  mouth;  and  he  loves  to  give  it.  He  desires 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  II. 


19 


nothing  so  much  as  that  his  intelligent  and  moral  creatures  should 
ask  and  receive,  and  so  become  his  trustful,  dutiful  and  grateful 
children.  Therefore  if  any  man  consciously  lacks  wisdom,  let 
him  ask.  of  God  who  gives  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraids  not, 
and  it  shall  be  given  him . Following  the  course  of  thought  in  our 
text,  we  shall  see  that  this  must  be  true  of  wisdom  in  the  sense  of 
this  passage,  viz.  : true  piety,  “ the  fear  of  the  Lord.”  Knowing 
God,  as  thought  of  here,  is  "that  practical  and  experimental  knowl- 
edge by  which  a lost  sinner  returns  penitently  from  his  wander- 
ings and  waywardness ; finds  God  ready  to  forgive  and  plenteous 
in  mercy;  and  comes  to  know  him  as  an  object  of  love  and  trust. 

7.  He  layeth  up  sound  wisdom  for  the  righteous  : he  is 
a buckler  to  them  that  walk  uprightly. 

8.  He  keepeth  the  paths  of  judgment,  and  preserveth 
the  way  of  the  saints. 

9.  Then  shalt  thou  understand  righteousness,  and  judg- 
ment, and  equity;  yea , every  good  path. 

He  “layeth  up,”  i.  e .,  in  store,  providing  abundantly  and  guard- 
ing it  well.  But  the  word  rendered  “ sound  wisdom  ” seems 
rather  to  mean  help,  succor,  salvation.  This  is  the  primary  sense 
of  the  Hebrew  word;  the  meaning  of  the  Septuagint  version;  and 
withal,  the  thought  in  the  parallel  clause,  “ a buckler  to  them  that 

walk  uprightly.” In  v.  8 the  question  must  be  met,  Whose 

paths  does  God  keep,  and  in  what  sense  ? Some  have  explained 
it  of  God’s  own  righteous  ways  which  he  walks  in,  never  swerving 
therefrom;  while  others  take  it  to  mean,  the  paths  of  just  men, 
kept  under  the  guardianship  of  God  forever.  The  latter  I adopt 
because  in  harmony  with  the  course  of  thought  in  the  parallel 
clause  (“preserveth  the  ways  of  his  saints”)  and  in  the  previous 
verse  also ; and  because  it  better  accords  with  the  meaning  of  the 
verb  “keepeth.” These  then  are  the  elements  in  the  blessed- 

ness of  the  righteous  who  seek  and  find  wisdom  in  the  sense  of 
piety  toward  God  and  uprightness  toward  man.  They  are  saved 
of  God,  shielded  from  the  moral  perils  of  this  sinning  world,  for 
God  is  their  buckler;  He  keeps  their  upright  paths  under  His 
guardian  care,  and  (v.  9)  gives  them  understanding  in  all  right- 
eous and  good  ways.  To  walk  uprightly  is  of  course  to  walk 
securely. 

10.  When  wisdom  entereth  into  thine  heart,  and  knowl- 
edge is  pleasant  unto  thy  soul ; 

11.  Discretion  shall  preserve  thee,  understanding  shall 
keep  thee : 

12.  To  deliver  thee  from  the  way  of  the  evil  man,  from 
the  man  that  speaketh  fro  ward  things ; 

13.  Who  leave  the  paths  of  uprightness,  to  walk  in  the 
ways  of  darkness; 


20 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  II. 


14.  Who  rejoice  to  do  evil,  and  delight  in  the  froward- 
ness  of  the  wicked ; 

15.  Whose  ways  are  crooked,  and  they  fro  ward  in  their 
paths : 

In  particular,  Solomon  proceeds  to  show  that  wisdom,  when 
really  embraced  in  the  heart  and  cherished  so  as  to  be  sweet  to 
the  soul,  will  preserve  its  possessor  from  the  influence  of  bad 
men.  He  describes  these  men.  They  leave  the  paths  of  upright- 
ness to  walk  in  the  ways  of  darkness  (i.  e.,  of  sin);  they  love  to 
do  evil  and  their  ways  follow  not  the  right  line  of  honesty  and 
integrity,  but  are  tortuous,  crooked,  ruinous.  The  social  influence 
of  such  men  is  full  of  peril  to  the  young.  From  such  peril  there 
is  no  protection  but  in  true  piety.  This  brings  men  not  only  into 
a deep  and  honest  love  of  uprightness,  but  under  the  protecting 
wing  of  the  great  God.  He  will  stand  for  the  defense  and  succor 
of  those  who  humbly  trust  him,  and  will  delight  to  shield  them 
from  the  tempting  power  of  bad  men. 

16.  To  deliver  thee  from  the  strange  woman,  even  from 
the  stranger  which  flattereth  with  her  words ; 

17.  Which  forsaketh  the  guide  of  her  youth,  and  forget- 
teth  the  covenant  of  her  God. 

18.  For  her  house  inclineth  unto  death,  and  her  paths 
unto  the  dead. 

19.  None  that  go  unto  her  return  again,  neither  take 
they  hold  of  the  paths  of  life. 

In  yet  a second  specification,  Solomon  points  out  another  danger 
from  which  true  wisdom  will  preserve  the  young  man,  viz. : the 
adulterous  woman.  The  words  “strange”  and  “stranger”  usually 
refer  to  one  of  foreign  birth ; but  as  this  woman  is  thought  of  as 
“ forgetting  the  covenant  of  her  God,”  she  is  perhaps  an  Israelite, 
and  called  a “strange”  woman  because  she  has  the  spirit  and 
lives  the  life  so  common  among  heathen  women.  She  makes  her 
words  smooth,  i.  e .,  seductive  (v.  16);  she  “forsakes  the  guide  of 
her  youth”  (her  lawful  husband);  and  “forgets  the  covenant  of 
her  God,”  the  marriage  covenant  which  is  an  institution  of  God, 
one  which  he  will  never  see  violated  with  impunity.  This  divine 
retribution  upon  her  and  her  vile  partners  in  crime  is  sure,  for 
“her  house  sinks  down  to  death”  and  her  paths  lead  down  to 
the  under  world  where  lie  the  shades  of  the  dead.  “Inclineth” 
falls  far  short  of  giving  the  full  sense  of  the  Hebrew;  for  the 
meaning  is  not  merely  that  her  house  is  an  inclined  plane  verging 
down  toward  death  and  hell ; but  that  both  herself  and  her  house 
sink  down  bodily,  as  it  were,  into  the  open  jaws  of  hell.  As  in  the 
case  of  Korah  and  his  troop  (Num.  16:  30-34),  so  underneath 
her  house  and  all  her  adulterous  household,  the  earth  opens  and 
swallows  them  up  alive,  and  down  they  sink  to  the  realms  of  the 
lost ! Of  all  who  go  into  her  house  for  such  guilty  purposes,  none 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  III. 


21 


ever  return  again;  the  steps  of  no  one  ever  again  take  hold  of 

the  paths  of  life  ! Alas ! what  a record  is  this ! O might  this 

awful  truth  be  made  to  blaze  out  in  glaring  light  athwart  the 
door-way  of  every  such  house  of  infamy  and  crime  ! No  return 
from  these  foul  precincts  to  the  paths  of  purity  and  life!  This 
house  sinks  down,  carrying  all  its  guilty  ones  to  the  realms  of 

the  dead — to  the  depths  of  hell ! Blessed  be  that  wisdom  which 

shields  the  young  man  from  dangers  scarcely  ever  less  than  death 
itself ! 

20.  That  thou  mayest  walk  in  the  way  of  good  men,  and 
keep  the  paths  of  the  righteous. 

21.  For  the  upright  shall  dwell  in  the  land,  and  the  per- 
feet  shall  remain  in  it. 

22.  But  the  wicked  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  earth,  and 
the  transgressors  shall  be  rooted  out  of  it. 

Preserved  by  wisdom  from  such  fatal  snares,  thou  mayest  walk 
in  the  ways  of  good  men,  a life  of  honor,  prosperity,  and  happiness. 
For  the  upright  prolong  their  days  in  the  land  of  God’s  gracious 
promise,  while  the  wicked  are  soon  cut  off  from  the  earth  and 

rooted  out  of  it  by  the  swift  judgments  of  the  Almighty. It 

was  the  more  in  point  to  speak  of  adulterers  as  soon  perishing 
from  the  land  of  Canaan  because  by  the  Mosaic  law  their  crime 
was  punishable  with  death.  (See  Deut.  22:  22-24.)  Civil  law 
may  be  less  stern  in  our  times,  but  the  laws  of  life,  engrafted 
into  every  human  body,  bring  down  a swift  and  terrible  retribu- 
tion upon  this  form  of  sin.  Of  all  sinners  on  the  earth  it  is  most 
true  of  these  that  they  do  not  live  out  half  their  days. 


OO^f^< 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  counsels  and  promises  of  good  in  this  chapter  are  some- 
what various,  yet  they  all  have  one  central  thought,  viz.,  to  com- 
mend wisdom;  to  show  its  various  applications  and  uses  in 
common  life  and  the  blessings  it  surely  brings  to  those  who  seek 
it  diligently  and  follow  its  guidance  carefully. 

1.  My  son,  forget  not  my  law ; but  let  thine  heart  keep 
my  commandments ; 

2.  For  length  of  days,  and  long  life,  and  peace,  shall 
they  add  to  thee. 

The  speaker  is  Wisdom  personified,  and  therefore  speaking  in 
the  name  of  God.  Or  if  we  look  at  the  human  side  of  this  com- 


22 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  III. 


position  and  give  prominence  to  Solomon  as  the  author,  we  must 
still  think  of  him  as  speaking  for  God,  under  his  inspiration,  and 
in  his  behalf.  The  law  which  he  enjoins  us  not  to  forget  is  by 
no  means  the  law  of  Solomon  only,  but  is  the  law  of  Wisdom,  i.  e.}  the 

law  of  God. “Let  thy  heart  keep,”  etc.,  is  somewhat  stronger 

than  simply  remember ; it  implies  to  remember  with  affection  and 

with  interest;  to  cherish  with  deep  and  pure  love. -The  reward  of 

such  obedience  (as  promised  here)  corresponds  to  the  genius  of  that 
age  and  to  the  spirit  of  its  promises — long  life  and  abounding  pros- 
perity in  this  world,  as  in  the  fifth  command,  and  prominently  in  the 
books  of  Moses  ( e . g .,  Deut.  27-29).  Such  a system  was  a present 
and  constant  witness  to  the  divine  law  of  rewards  and  punishments 
which  was  to  be  first  manifested  signally  in  this  world  that  men 
might  have  convincing  proof  of  its  reality  in  the  world  to  come. 

3.  Let  not  mercy  and  truth  forsake  thee:  bind  them 
about  thy  neck ; write  them  upon  the  table  of  thine  heart : 

4.  So  shalt  thou  find  favor  and  good  understanding  in 
the  sight  of  God  and  man. 

Mercy  in  man  is  rather  kindness ; truth  is  truthfulness,  veracity. 
The  writer  conceives  of  them  as  abstract  things  which  may  be 
repelled  and  driven  away  from  the  soul,  or  which  may  be  cherished, 
bound  as  a graceful  ornament  about  the  neck,  and  written  indelibly 
upon  the  heart.  Retain  them,  he  would  say;  make  them  abso- 
lutely thine  own;  engraft  them  into  thy  life,  thy  habits,  thy  very 
nature ; for  so  doing,  thou  shalt  find  favor  and  prosperity  with  God 
and  with  men.  Prosperity  rather  than  “good  understanding” 
seems  to  be  the  sense  in  the  last  clause  of  v.  4.  It  corresponds 
better  with  favor;  is  admissible  as  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew,  and 
yields  a more  pertinent  meaning. 

5.  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart;  and  lean 
not  unto  thine  own  understanding. 

6.  In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct 
thy  paths. 

Yet  think  it  not  enough  to  be  correct  in  thy  morals,  or  sagacious 
and  far-seeing,  in  order  to  guide  thine  own  ways  in  wisdom  and 
success.  Go  rather  to  the  fountain  of  all  wisdom ; go  to  the  living 
counsellor ; trust  in  the  very  Lord  himself,  yea,  even  with  all  thy 
heart:  ask  his  counsel  in  all  matters  of  duty  and  of  interest,  and 
trust  in  him  implicitly  for  the  help  thou  needest.  Lean  on  him 
and  not  on  thine  own  understanding.  In  all  thy  ways  know  him 
as  thy  God  and  thy  guide,  and  adjust  thyself  carefully  to  all  thy 
relations  to  God,  thy  great  Father;  then  will  he  direct  all  thy 
steps.  Human  sagacity  is  short  of  vision,  seeing  but  a little  way : 
God’s  eye  sees  through  to  the  end.  O,  is  it  not  blessed  that  mor- 
tals may  avail  themselves  of  their  great  Father’s  all-seeing  eye 

and  guiding  hand  ? The  sentiment  of  this  passage  appears  also 

in  Ps.  37 : 3,  5. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  III. 


23 


7.  Be  not  wise  in  thine  own  eyes : fear  the  Lord,  and 
depart  from  evil. 

8.  It  shall  be  health  to  thy  navel,  and  marrow  to  thy 
bones. 

Conceit  of  one’s  own  wisdom  shuts  out  all  trust  in  God’s  wisdom. 
Such  self-flattery  may  be  pleasing;  it  is  none  the  less  self-ruinous. 
It  is  plainly  thought  of  here  as  opposed  to  the  fear  of  the  Lord 
and  to  departing  from  evil.  Solomon  would  say,  Do  not  be  so  self- 
conceited  as  to  be  reckless  of  God’s  counsels  and  defiant  toward 
his  warnings.  Shun  these  fearful  evils.  So  shall  wisdom  be 
health  to  thy  muscles  [better  than  “ navel”],  and  marrow  to  thy 
bones.  Physical  health  doubtless  comes  from  obeying  the  physical 
laws  under  "which  God  has  framed  the  human  body.  Perhaps  the 
writer  meant  to  suggest  tacitly  that  wisdom  insures  health  of  soul 
as  well  as  health  of  body. 

9.  Honor  the  Lord  with  thy  substance,  and  with  the 
first  fruits  of  all  thine  increase : 

10.  So  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with  plenty,  and  thy 
presses  shall  burst  out  with  new  wine. 

A new  precept  appears  here,  on  the  duty  of  recognizing  God  as 
the  source  of  all  earthly  good,  and  of  appropriating  a liberal  por- 
tion of  our  substance  to  his  worship  and  cause.  The  Mosaic  law 
required  that  every  Hebrew  should  honor  God  with  various  sacri- 
fices, tithes,  and  first  fruits  (Ex.  22 : 29,  30,  Deut.  26 : 2 and 
Mai.  3:  10,  etc.).  Such  dutiful  and  grateful  recognition  of  His 
bounty  ensured  His  blessing.  The  spirit  of  those  laws  remains  in 
force,  and  must,  so  long  as  God  is  the  great  Giver  of  all  earthly 
good,  and  we  are  only  the  receivers  and  almoners  of  his  bounty. 
The  covetousness  of  man’s  heart  is  naturally  so  strong  that  only 
the  most  stringent  precepts  and  the  most  palpable  present  retri- 
bution of  good  or  evil  accordingly  will  avail  to  induce  men  to 
honor  the  Lord  with  their  substance.  How  few  will  believe  that 
it  is  really  well  to  have  God  and  his  promises  of  good  on  their 
side  amid  the  perpetual  vicissitudes  and  reverses  of  all  human 
things ! All  the  varied  circumstances  of  human  life  put  men’s 
faith  in  these  promises  to  a practical  and  most  searching  test. 

11.  My  son,  despise  not  the  chastening  of  the  Lord  ; 
neither  be  weary  of  his  correction  : 

12.  For  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  correcteth  ; even  as  a 
father  the  son  in  whom  he  delighteth. 

These  words  may  perhaps  be  an  after-thought  to  the  verses  im- 
mediately preceding,  on  this  wise : Yet  adversity  will  sometimes 
come.  When  it  does,  be  careful  to  adjust  yourself  submissively 
to  it.  If  the  Lord  should  visit  you  with  chastening  and  correc 
tion,  do  not  take  offence  thereat:  let  it  not  provoke  disgust  and 
loathing  (such  is  the  sense  of  the  original  word);  do  not  repel  it 
/ 2 


24 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  III. 


as  an  unwelcome  intruder  ; do  not  wonder  at  it  as  a mysterious 
unmeaning  providence — much  less  resent  it  as  an  outrage;  but 
rather  accept  it  as  proof  of  a Father’s  love  and  thoughtful  care. 
Do  not  human  fathers  try  to  correct  the  bad  habits  and  improve 
the  faults  of  character  of  their  best  beloved  sons?  Verily  there 
can  be  no  stronger  proof  of  a fathers  love  to  his  son,  coupled  with 
sound  wisdom  also,  than  judicious  and  kind  efforts  to  correct  his 
faults.  So  God’s  discipline  of  his  children  is  one  of  his  choicest 

blessings. The  writer  to  the  Hebrews  (12:  5,  6)  assumes  that 

the  Hebrew  converts,  faint-hearted  and  depressed  under  their 
persecutions,  must  have  forgotten  this  pertinent  exhortation 
which  spake  to  them  as  to  children.  For  if  they  had  kept 
this  in  mind,  they  would  have  said  to  themselves,  These  light 
afflictions  are  our  Heavenly  Father’s  rod  of  correction  and  come 
upon  us  as  proofs  of  his  special  love  and  of  his  purpose  to  make 

us  more  fully  “partakers  of  his  holiness.” So  Davidsaid  and 

sung,  “Blessed  is  the  man  whom  thou  chastenest,  0 Lord,  and 
teachest  him  out  of  thy  law”  (Ps.  94:  12).  And  even  as  far  back 
as  the  age  of  Job,  Eliphaz  said,  “ Behold,  happy  is  the  man  whom 
God  correcteth;  therefore,  despise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the 
Almighty,  for  he  maketh  sore  and  bindeth  up”  (Job  5:  17,  18). 
See  also  Rev.  3 : 19. 

13.  Happy  is  the  man  that  findeth  wisdom,  and  the  man 
that  getteth  understanding: 

14.  For  the  merchandise  of  it  is  better  than  the  mer- 
chandise of  silver,  and  the  gain  thereof  than  fine  gold. 

15.  She  is  more  precious  than  rubies:  and  all  the  things 
thou  canst  desire  are”  not  to  be  compared  unto  her. 

Men  of  the  world  are  wont  to  think  those  happy  who  amass 
gold  and  all  precious  things.  Solomon  pronounces  those  blessed  who 
find  wisdom  because  she  is  better  than  all  riches. “Merchan- 

dise” is  not  used  here  for  the  traffic  itself,  but  rather  for  the  gain 
acquired  by  traffic.  He  means  that  wisdom  is  worth  more  than 
silver,  and  therefore  it  is  more  blessed  to  gain  wisdom  than  to  gain 

silver. “Rubies”  represent  all  precious  stones,  such  as  have 

been  in  all  ages  the  highest  standard  of  value. Finally,  he 

closes  this  comparison  of  wisdom  with  all  things  most  precious  by 
saying,  exhaustively:  Of  all  the  things  which  thou  dost  most  desire, 
not  one  can  be  compared  with  wisdom.  What  more  could  he 
say  to  treasure-seeking  men  to  extol  its  value  ? 

16.  Length  of  days  is  in  her  right  hand ; and  in  her  left 
hand  riches  and  honor. 

17.  Her  ways  are  wTays  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths 
are  peace. 

18.  She  is  a tree  of  life  to  them  that  lay  hold  upon  her : 
and  happy  is  every  one  that  retaineth  her. 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  III. 


25 


Wisdom  now  stands  before  us  in  angelic  female  form,  her  hands 
loaded  with  the  blessings  she  has  to  bestow.  The  picture  is  ex- 
quisitely beautiful.  Long  life  in  one  hand;  in  the  other  riches 
and  honor;  her  ways  all  pleasantness  and  her  paths  peace — this 

being  the  word  under  which  the  Orientals  group  all  blessings. 

Trees  are  symbols  of  perpetuity.  A “tree  of  life”  is  therefore  a 
perennial  fountain  of  good,  deemed  worthy  to  represent  even  the 
joys  of  the  heavenly  paradise.  This  passage,  descriptive  of  the 
blessedness  of  wisdom,  has  been  greatly  admired  for  its  richness 
and  beauty.  But  still  we  may  say  the  picture  is  not  overdrawn. 
The  wisdom  that  begins  in  the  fear  and  love  of  God,  and  then 
gratefully  accepts  the  guiding  hand  of  the  All-wise  Father,  is  a 
fountain  of  perpetual  blessedness. 

19.  The  Lord  by  wisdom  hath  founded  the  earth ; by 
understanding  hath  he  established  the  heavens. 

20.  By  his  knowledge  the  depths  are  broken  up,  and  the 
clouds  drop  down  the  dew. 

To  heighten  his  commendation  of  wisdom,  he  adds  that  God 
himself  has  it  and  uses  it,  and  especially  that  he  brought  it  into 
use  most  signally  in  founding  the  earth,  in  establishing  the  heav- 
ens, in  distributing  the  waters  of  our  globe,  and  in  making  pro- 
vision for  the  rich  and  precious  dew.  “How  manifold  are  thy 
works,  0 Lord;  in  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all!” Follow- 

ing the  conception  in  Gen.  1 : 6-8,  we  must  explain  the  breaking 
up  of  the  great  depths  of  water  in  accordance  with  the  ancient 
notion,  that,  on  the  second  of  the  six  days  of  creation,  God  divided 
the  waters  of  our  globe  into  two  great  masses ; the  one  reposing 
on  the  earth,  and  the  other  on  a solid  firmament  over  our  heads — 
this  latter  mass  being  stored  there  to  supply  the  clouds,  the  rains  and 
the  dews.  Science  has  given  us  a different  view  of  the  firmament 
and  of  the  laws  by  which  the  waters  of  our  globe  are  kept  in  cir- 
culation ; laws,  however,  which  display  to  every  eye  the  consummate 

wisdom  of  their  Author. Let  it  be  our  joy  that  the  Father  of 

all  wisdom  proposes  to  us:  “If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him 
ask  of  God  who  giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not, 
and  it  shall  be  given  him”  (Jam.  1 : 5). 

21.  My  son,  let  not  them  depart  from  thine  eyes;  keep 
sound  wisdom  and  discretion: 

22.  So  shall  they  be  life  unto  thy  soul,  and  grace  to  thy 
neck. 

The  renewed  address,  “my  son,”  indicates  a new  point  in  the 
general  subject,  and  one  to  which  the  writer  would  call  special 
attention.  (See  2:  1 and  3:  1,  11.)  Remarkably  he  says,  “Let 
not  them  depart,”  without  having  said  any  thing  to  suggest  definitely 
what  he  meant  by  uthem."  Of  course  they  are  things  of  which 
his  own  mind  was  full,  viz. : What  he  has  said  about  wisdom. 
Hold  those  things  ever  in  thine  eye ; do  not  lose  sight  of  them  for 


26 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  III. 


an  instant.  As  one  who  has  a sacred  charge  to  keep  and  must 
needs  have  it  perpetually  under  his  eye,  so  let  thy  heart  keep 

wisdom  and  discretion. “Life  to  thy  soul”  should  be  the 

higher  life  in  which  the  soul  lives  before  God ; lives  in  the  sense 
of  true  blessedness;  lives  to  assert  its  just  prerogatives  as  of  a 
higher  nature  than  the  body,  and  therefore  worthy  to  hold  the 
appetites  of  the  body  in  subordination  to  its  own  nobler  impulses 

and  powers. It  shall  be  “grace  to  thy  neck”  in  the  sense  of  an 

ornament  of  beauty,  for  what  can  be  more  beautiful  than  the  life 
that  is  governed  by  true  wisdom  ? 

23.  Then  shalt  thou  walk  in  thy  way  safely,  and  thy 
foot  shall  not  stumble. 

24.  When  thou  liest  down,  thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  : yea, 
thou  shalt  lie  down,  and  thy  sleep  shall  be  sweet. 

The  two  points  made  here  are  safety  from  external  danger,  and 
exemption  from  disquieting  fear.  Walking  abroad  unharmed 
represents  the  one ; lying  down  at  home  in  sweet  sleep  and  repose 
betokens  the  other.  The  writer  assumes  that  God  takes  care  of 
his  wisely  obedient  and  trustful  children,  so  that  they  neither 
come  into  collision  with  perils  abroad  nor  suffer  from  the  unrest 
of  a troubled  conscience  in  the  silence  of  night,  and  in  the  home 
hours  of  repose. 

25.  Be  not  afraid  of  sudden  fear,  neither  of  the  desolation 
of  the  wicked,  when  it  cometh. 

26.  For  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  confidence,  and  shall  keep 
thy  foot  from  being  taken. 

The  same  general  thought  is  put  here  in  the  form  of  precept 
and  promise.  Let  not  thy  mind  be  disturbed  with  sudden  fear ; 
be  not  afraid  of  the  desolation  that  comes  with  crushing  force  upon 
the  wicked.  For  the  Lord  God  shall  be  thy  confidence.  Trusting 
in  him  no  harm  can  befall  thee  nor  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwell- 
ing.  This  line  of  thought  runs  through  Ps.  91,  beginning — 

“ He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High  shall  abide 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.”  It  appears  also  in  imagery 
surpassingly  magnificent  and  sublime  in  the  last  words  of  Moses 
(Deut.  33 : 26-29).  “ There  is  none  like  unto  the  God  of  Jeshurun 

who  rideth  upon  the  heavens  in  thy  help  and  in  his  excellency  on 
the  sky.  The  eternal  God  is  thy  Refuge,  and  underneath  are  the 
everlasting  arms ; and  he  shall  thrust  out  the  enemy  from  before 
thee,  and  shall  say,  Destroy  them,”- etc.  It  is  refreshing  to 
notice  the  fullness  and  richness  of  this  sentiment  as  held  by  the 
patriarchs  of  old — God,  the  Refuge  of  his  trustful  saints. 

27.  Withhold  not  good  from  them  to  whom  it  is  due, 
when  it  is  in  the  power  of  thine  hand  to  do  it 

28.  Say  not  unto  thy  neighbor,  Go,  and  come  again,  and 
to-morrow  I will  give ; when  thou  hast  it  by  thee. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  III. 


27 


Wisdom  has  its  practical  duties  toward  fellow- jeings ; here  are 
some  of  them.  The  wise  teacher,  like  Solomon,  must  not  content 
himself  with  drawing  beautiful  pictures  of  a pious  life.  He  must 
do  something  more  than  embellish  his  theme  and  charm  our  im- 
agination with  its  splendors.  It  behooves  him  to  come  down  to  its 
practical  applications  and  show  us  how  true  wisdom  will  make  us 
live  in  the  midst  of  a world  of  want  and  of  suffering — a world  in 
which  every  human  being,  however  lowly  or  uncomely,  is  yet  a 

man  and  a brother. First  in  order  he  says  : The  good  you  have 

it  in  your  power  to  bestow  upon  one  in  need  thereof,  you  must  not 
withhold.  The  fact  that  another  needs  it  and  that  you  can  give 
it,  makes  it  due  from  yourself  to  him.  When  your  neighbor  s 
pinching  want  drives  him  to  your  door,  say  not  to  him,  “Go,  and 
come  again/’  as  if  your  hard  heart  and  close  hand  would  fain 
stave  off  a painful  call  in  hope  it  would  never  return.  When  thou 
hast  it  by  thee,  let  thy  heart  give  with  the  promptness  of  love. 
This  is  true  wisdom.  Man  should  live  not  to  swell  his  own  pile, 
but  to  bless  his  fellows ; not  to  amass  for  himself,  but  to  impart  to 
others.  God  fills  the  world  around  us  with  want  that  we  may 
never  lack  the  opportunity  of  putting  forth  a kind  hand  to  some 
needy  one.  The  special  point  to  be  noticed  here  is  the  underlying 
assumption  that  help  is  due  to  the  weak  from  the  strong.  This  is 
the  doctrine  of  practical  wisdom.  That  life  of  wisdom  which  flows 
along  with  such  inimitable  peace  and  blessedness  as  we  have  seen 
in  this  chapter  has  a practical  working  side  to  it;  and  here  are  some 
of  its  manifestations. 

29.  Devise  not  evil  against  thy  neighbor,  seeing  he 
dwelleth  securely  by  thee. 

.Take  no  advantage  of  your  unsuspecting  neighbor  to  plot  mis- 
chief against  him.  If  he  sleep  with  unbarred  door  through  his 
confidence  in  honest  neighbors,  enter  not  that  door  as  a thief  and 
a robber.  If  he  make  contracts  in  all  good  faith,  relying  on  your 
integrity  and  neglecting  the  safeguards  of  writing  and  of  the 
technical  forms  of  law,  abuse  not  his  confidence.  You  can  not 
afford  to  make  a penny  at  the  cost  of  your  own  self-respect  and  at 

the  cost  of  God’s  favor. In  some  aspects  of  the  case  it  seems 

marvelous  that  such  maxims  should  be  deemed  necessary  in  this 
category  of  the  precepts  of  wisdom.  But  Solomon  had  seen  start- 
ling developments  of  human  nature — men  who  would  fain  be 
thought  wise  and  good,  yet  who  would  labor  to  gain  the  confidence 
of  their  neighbors  only  to  abuse  it,  as  this  precept  suggests.  We 
may  assume  that  he  believed  in  the  fact  of  human  depravity. 

30.  Strive  not  with  a man  without  cause,  if  he  have  done 
thee  no  harm. 

Like  the  one  preceding,  this  precept  seems  almost  too  obvious 
to  require  statement.  The  sin  condemned  is  so  palpable  and  so 
outrageous,  why  should  any  mortal  ever  need  to  be  exhorted  against 


28 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  Ill 


it  ? If  he  had  said,  Bear  much  and  bear  long  rather  than  strive 
in  self-defence  or  attempted  redress,  the  precept  would  be  more 
nearly  what  we  should  naturally  expect.  But  selfishness  and  sin 
beget  folly  and  a most  unreasonable  abuse  of  others.  This  striving 
with  one  Who  has  done  us  no  harm  is  a long  way  from  the  life  of 
true  wisdom. 

31.  Envy  thou  not  the  oppressor,  and  choose  none  of  his 
ways. 

32.  For  the  fro  ward  is  abomination  to  the  Lord  : but  his 
secret  is  with  the  righteous. 

The  oppressor  is  supposed  to  enrich  himself  by  his  oppression 
of  his  weaker  neighbor.  But  even  if  he  does,  do  not  envy  his 
ill-gotten  gain  nor  choose  his  way  of  getting  rich.  God  abhors 

him! Perhaps  these  verses  have  a tacit  connection  with  the 

two  immediately  preceding,  showing  that  the  temptation  to  devise 
evil  against  thy  unsuspecting  neighbor  and  the  striving  with  one 
who  has  never  harmed  thee  contemplate  cases  of  oppression  not 
unlike  the  American  slavery  that  was.  Let  God  be  praised,  if  we 
may  say — that  is,  no  longer!  Men  are  not  wont  to  devise  evil 
without  an  object,  and  that  object  will  be  some  form  of  oppression. 

God’s  secret  is  with  the  righteous — this  word  implying  his  in- 
timate fellowship  and  friendship.  It  occurs  Ps.  25:  14,  “The  se- 
cret of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him;”  also  Ps.  55:  14, 
“We  took  sweet  counsel  together;”  literally,  We  made  our  asso- 
ciation together  sweet. 

33.  The  curse  of  the  Lord  is  in  the  house  of  the  wicked  : 
but  he  blesseth  the  habitation  of  the  just. 

Probably  the  thought  here  continues  from  the  preceding  verse, 
the  connection  being  that  God’s  curse  follows  unrighteous  gain, 
comes  into  the  oppressor’s  house  and  abides  there,  a scourge  and 
a minister  of  vengeance,  converting  his  fancied  good  into  a living 
eurse.  On  the  other  hand,  the  just  man  who  wrongs  not  his 
neighbor,  but  befriends  him  in  his  need,  may  be  sure  of  God’s 
blessing  on  his  habitation. 

34.  Surely  he  scorneth  the  scorners  : but  he  giyeth  grace 
unto  the  lowly. 

If  men  will  scorn  the  Lord,  spurning  his  precepts  of  wisdom, 
he  will  show  that  he  can  scorn  them,  sending  his  curse  upon  their 
house;  discarding  them  from  his  fellowship  and  counting  them 
an  abomination.  The  grace  of  his  favor  he  gives  with  full  heart 
to  the  lowly. 

35.  The  wise  shall  inherit  glory : but  shame  shall  be  the 
promotion  of  fools. 

To  “inherit”  carries  the  idea  of  permanence.  Glory  shall  be 
the  permanent  reward  of  the  wise,  their  life-long  possession,  per- 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  IV. 


29 


haps  descending  to  their  children  after  them. In  the  last  clause 

our  received  translation  gives  a good  sense:  Shame  shall  be.  the 
only  distinction  of  fools ; their  shame  and  that  only  shall  lift  them 
up  to  public  notice.  Another  sense  somewhat  different  is  possible: 
Every  fool  shall  bear  away  shame,  i.  e .,  as  his  portion;  or  in  yet 
another  construction:  Shame  shall  sweep  away  fools,  i.  e.,  into 
destruction.  I prefer  the  construction  first  named,  as  giving  the 
usual  sense  of  the  Hebrew  verb,  viz.,  to  lift  up,  to  raise  high; 
and  as  affording  a natural  connection  with  the  clause  preceding. 
The  wise  have  glory  legitimately  as  their  own  due  reward;  but 
all  the  glory  of  fools  is  the  prominence  which  their  disgrace  gives 
them.  They  become  notorious  for  their  infamy! 


CHAPTER  IV. 

In  this  chapter  the  writer  pursues  the  same  general  course  of 
thought,  commending  wisdom,  and  exhorting  the  young  especially 
to  study,  attain,  love,  and  obey  it. 

1.  Hear,  ye  children,  the  instruction  of  a father,  and  at- 
tend to  know  understanding. 

2.  For  I give  you  good  doctrine,  forsake  ye  not  my  law. 

Instead  of  “ my  son,”  the  usual  form  of  address,  we  have  here, 
“ ye  sons  ” — the  same  word,  only  in  the  plural  form  and  without 
the  term  “my.” “Doctrine”  stands  here  in  the  sense  of  in- 

struction, something  to  be  received  and  taken  hold  of  by  the  ear 
and  the  mind.  By  all  the  love  and  regard  ye  bear  to  a father, 
listen  to  his  counsels,  for  he  loves  you,  and  his  experience  will 
give  you  the  ripened  fruits  of  wisdom. 

3.  For  I was  my  father’s  son,  tender  and  only  beloved  in 
the  sight  of  my  mother. 

4.  He  taught  me  also,  and  said  unto  me,  Let  thine  heart 
retain  my  words : keep  my  commandments,  and  live. 

5.  Get  wisdom,  get  understanding : forget  it  not ; neither 
decline  from  the  words  of  my  mouth. 

6.  Forsake  her  not,  and  she  shall  preserve  thee : love 
her,  and  she  shall  keep  thee. 

I too  (Solomon  would  say)  was  myself  a son,  cherished  by  a 
kind  father,  tenderly  beloved  of  my  mother,  and  1 know,  therefore, 
what  it  is  to  be  the  object  of  fond  parental  love.  I remember  the 
counsels  of  my  aged  father.  I seem  even  now  to  hear  him  saying 
in  ray  ear,  Let  thy  heart  retain  my  words ; keep  my  command* 


30 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  IV. 


ments ; so  shalt  thou  live.  Wisdom  will  reward  thee  for  any  and 
all  of  the  regard  thou  mayest  pay  to  her.  If  thou  will  not  for- 
sake her,  she  will  surely  preserve  thee  from  harm.  Give  her  thy 
heart’s  love,  and  she  will  keep  thee  With  the  best  of  all  keeping. 

7.  Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing ; therefore  get  wisdom  : 
and  with  all  thy  getting  get  understanding. 

The  original  word  for  “principal  thing”  may  bear  the  sense  of 
first  thing , or  the  beginning . Hence  some  critics  construe  this 
clause  to  mean,  The  first  thino;  in  wisdom  is  to  get  wisdom ; the 
beginning  of  wisdom  is  to  get  it.  But  1 can  not  regard  this  con- 
struction as  in  any  respect  better  than  that  of  our  received  ver- 
sion, viz.,  The  best  thing  of  all  is  wisdom;  therefore  get  it;  get 
it,  though  at  the  cost  of  all  thine  other  acquisitions.  It  is  the 

pearl  of  great  price;  sell  all  thou  hast  to  buy  it. The  last 

clause  means,  not  along  with  all  other  gettings,  but  with  the  aid 
of  them  all,  at  the  cost  (if  need  be)  of  them  all.  You  can  not 
pay  too  much  for  it. 

8.  Exalt  her,  and  she  shall  promote  thee : she  shall  bring 
thee  to  honor,  when  thou  dost  embrace  her. 

9.  She  shall  give  to  thine  head  an  ornament  of  grace  : 
a crown  of  glory  shall  she  deliver  to  thee. 

The  thought  in  the  first  clause  is  put  with  equal  beauty  and 
strength.  Exalt  wisdom,  and  she  will  exalt  thee;  honor  her  and 

she  will  repay  the  favor  in  kind  and  exalt  thee  to  honor. That 

wisdom  will  adorn  the  wise  is  a favorite  sentiment  with  Solomon, 
it  having  appeared  already  in  1 : 9 and  3 : 3,  4,  22.  This  fact 
ought  to  take  strong  hold  of  all  the  youthful  lovers  of  beauty  and 
splendor.  Let  them  know  that  there  is  no  adorning  to  compare 
with  that  of  intrinsic  virtue.  “ The  ornament  of  a meek  and 
quiet  spirit  is  in  the  sight  of  God  of  great  price.”  Beauty  of 
soul  surpasses  all  beauty  of  complexion  and  form,  outlasting  all 
charms  of  person  and  shining  forth  with  only  the  more  glory 
when  the  wrinkles  of  age  creep  over  all  that  is  merely  “of  the 
earth,  earthy.” 

10.  Hear,  O my  son,  and  receive  my  sayings;  and  the 
years  of  thy  life  shall  be  many. 

11.  I have  taught  thee  in  the  way  of  wisdom  ; I have  led 
thee  in  right  paths. 

12.  When  thou  goest,  thy  steps  shall  not  be  straitened  ; 
and  when  thou  runnest,  thou  shalt  not  stumble. 

13.  Take  fast  hold  of  instruction  ; let  her  not  go  : keep 
her ; for  she  is  thy  life. 

That  wisdom  (implying  true  piety  and  a judicious  observance  of 
the  laws  of  life)  promotes  health  and  length  of  days,  is  always 
true;  was  true  in  the  age  of  Solomon,  and  never  can  be  otherwise 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  IV. 


31 


than  true.  Yet  it  may  be  conceded  that  worldly  prosperity,  in 
the  case  both  of  nations  and  of  individuals,  was  more  uniformly 
the  fruit  of  well-doing  under  that  ancient  economy  than  under 
our  own.  There  were  reasons  then  for  a prompt  and  unvarying 
retribution  for  good  or  ill  conduct  which  do  not  exist  in  this 
Christian  age  of  the  world.  Whoever  will  read  the  book  of  Deu- 
teronomy attentively  will  see  both  the  fact  and  the  reasons  for 
it. V.  12  speaks  of  steps  as  not  straitened , a figure  very  com- 

mon in  the  Hebrew  writers  and  specially  pertinent  in  an  age 
when  oftentimes  men  (e.  g .,  David  before  Saul)  sought  safety  by 
flight,  and  of  course  needed  a fair  field  and  a wide  range.  But 
if  they  fell  into  a strait  place,  hedged  in,  with  no  outlet  for  escape, 
alas!  their  flight  was  arrested  and  escape  became  impossible. 

Wisdom  saves  men  from  these  straitened  places. In  running, 

men  encounter  a new  danger,  guarded  against  here  by  the  prom- 
ise, “Thou  shalt  not  stumble.” The  spirit  of  v.  13  is,  Be  care- 

ful not  only  to  hold  fast  instruction  in  the  sense  of  not  forgetting 
it,  but  also  in  the  sense  of  never  failing  to  obey  it.  Be  careful 
to  act  accordingly;  so  shall  instruction  be  thy  life. 

14.  Enter  not  into  the  path  of  the  wicked,  and  go  not  in 
the  way  of  evil  men . 

15.  Avoid  it,  pass  not  by  it,  turn  from  it,  and  pass 
away. 

With  all  the  earnestness  of  solemn  repetition,  the  writer  ad- 
monishes the  young  against  going  at  all  in  the  path  of  the 

wicked. In  v.  15  the  words,  “Pass  not  by  it,”  do  not  forbid 

going  past  it,  but  rather  forbid  going  in  it,  going  at  all  that  way. 
Avoid  it  (the  path  of  the  wicked) ; pass  not  along  over  it  or  even 
near  it ; turn  from  it,,  and  so  pass  on. 

16.  For  they  sleep  not,  except  they  have  done  mischief ; 
and  their  sleep  is  taken  away,  unless  they  cause  some  to 
fall. 

17.  For  they  eat  the  bread  of  wickedness,  and  drink  the 
wine  of  violence. 

Their  hearts  are  fully  set  on  mischief;  they  never  think  their 
day’s  work  done  unless  they  have  ruined  somebody.  Their  very 
bread  is  gotten  by  wickedness;  their  wine  by  violence.  They  live 
upon  robbery  and  murder.  Why,  my  son,  shouldst  thou  have 
fellowship  with  such  wickedness  ? 

18.  But  the  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that 
shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day. 

19.  The  way  of  the  wicked  is  as  darkness : they  know 
not  at  what  they  stumble. 

The  wicked  men  who  live  by  crime  walk  in  a way  of  growing 
darkness  in  which  they  erelong  stumble,  perhaps  never  knowing 
upon  what.  They  plunge  headlong  and  are  lost  to  the  sight  and 


32 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  IV. 


thought  of  the  living,  only  that  the  good  breathe  more  easily, 
conscious  that  a burden  is  lifted  from  the  bosom  of  society.  But 
the  path  of  the  just  is  like  the  growing  light  of  morning,  faint 
rays  first  streaming  upon  the  eastern  sky,  brightening  each  mo- 
ment, disclosing  new  beauties  and  new  glories  till  at  length  the 
mighty  sun  himself  is  up  and  looks  forth  abroad  over  all  the 

earth  with  his  benign  smile. Some  critics  assume  that  this 

figure  of  increasing  sunlight  covers  only  the  period  from  the  first 
dawn  of  light  to  sunrise,  while  others  extend  it  to  noon  when  the 
perfect  day  is  fully  developed.  The  choice  between  these  limita- 
tions to  the  figure  does  not  essentially  affect  its  pertinence  and 
beauty,  much  less  its  significance.  The  change  is  more  rapid  and 
impressive  if  you  close  the  scene  at  full  sunrise.  From  that  point 
onward  to  midday,  the  “shining  more  and  more”  is  less  obvious. 
Either  way  the  figure  is  full  of  beauty,  and  the  truth  that  shines 
forth  in  it  is  most  precious.  Legitimately  the  path  of  the  just 
brightens  as  he  progresses,  ending  often  in  a mild  radiance  of 
glory  like  a golden  sunset.  He  is  nearing  heaven  alike  in  the 
march  of  time  and  in  the  mellow  ripeness  of  every  Christian 
grace;  why  then  should  it  surprise  us  that  some  beams  from  that 
world  of  light  should  heighten  the  glories  of  his  “perfect  day” 

before  it  closes? The  ungodly  are  not  so.  Ah!  their  ever- 

darkening  path ! Each  joy  dying  out;  every  sorrow  growing  more 
bitter  and  more  hopeless;  sick  of  life  and  yet  more  dreading  death  ; 
oppressed  with  the  consciousness  of  having  made  life  an  utter  fail 
ure;  what  can  be  so  dismal  as  the  sinners  latter  end ? 

20.  My  son,  attend  to  my  words ; incline  thine  ear  unto 
my  sayings. 

21.  Let  them  not  depart  from  thine  eyes;  keep  them  in 
the  midst  of  thine  heart. 

22.  For  they  are  life  to  those  that  find  them,  and  health 
to  all  their  flesh. 

These  sentiments  have  appeared  substantially  before.  We  may 
consider  their  repetition  here  as  prompted  by  the  life  and  death- 
scenes  of  the  just  man  and  of  the  wicked  man,  as  portrayed  in 
the  verses  next  above.  With  those  scenes  vividly  in  mind,  how 
solemnly  emphatic  must  these  admonitions  become  ? 

23.  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence ; for  out  of  it  are 
the  issues  of  life. 

Watch  thy  heart  more  than  all  other  things  that  are  to  be  kept, 
because  out  of  it  flow  the  streams  of  thy  life.  The  terseness  of 
the  Hebrew  tongue  enabled  them  to  say — “Watch  thy  heart  above 
all  keeping,  for  from  it  are  the  outflo wings  of  life.”  The  heart 
seems  to  be  thought  of  as  a fountain  from  which  flow  out  all  the 
streams  of  human  joy  or  sorrow — the  streams  that  make  up  the 
weal  or  woe  of  human  life.  Since  man  has  the  making  and  the 
guarding  of  his  own  life-fountain  put  under  his  own  charge,  it 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  V. 


33 


behooves  him  to  account  it  his  first  duty  to  keep  it  well.  This 
life-fountain  is  the  heart,  the  moral  heart,  out  of  which,  says  our 
divine  Lord,  “proceed  those  things  that  defile  the  man — evil 
thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  theft,  false  witness, 
blasphemies.”  Out  of  this  come  also  the  genial  sympathies,  the 
love  and  the  friendship,  the  sweet  charities  that  perpetually  react 
to  bless  their  authors  and  givers.  But,  above  all,  let  it  be  con- 
sidered that  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness; 
from  the  heart  men  repent  with  repentance  never  to  be  repented 
of;  the  love  of  the  heart  is  the  fulfilling  of  God’s  great  law  and 
brings  the  soul  into  sympathy  with  heaven.  Verily,  there  is 
infinite  reason  for  keeping  the  heart  with  all  diligence,  since  out 
of  it  flow  such  issues  of  life. 

24.  Put  away  from  thee  a froward  mouth,  and  perverse 
lips  put  far  from  thee. 

25.  Let  thine  eyes  look  right  on,  and  let  thine  eye-lids 
look  straight  before  thee. 

26.  Ponder  the  path  of  thy  feet,  and  let  all  thy  ways 
be  established. 

27.  Turn  not  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left : remove 
thy  foot  from  evil. 

“Froward”  (v.  24)  translates  a Hebrew  word  which  means  de- 
ceitful false,  a mouth  that  speaketh  lies,  one  that  distorts  the 
truth.  “Perverse  lips  ” are  the  same.  Solomon  exhorts  his  young 
friends  to  speak  the  simple  truth  and  never  allow  their  lips  to 
prevaricate,  deceive,  or  in  any  wise  to  discolor  the  facts  of  the 
case.  So  the  next  verse  beautifully  conceives  of  the  path  of  right 
and  duty  as  straight,  on  a right  line,  and  not  tortuous  and  zigzag. 
Let  thine  eye  look  ever  straight  onward,  with  no  thought  of  devi- 
ation from  simple  uprightness. Ponder  (in  Heb.  weigh),  i.  e ., 

carefully  consider  the  path  of  thy  feet  that  thy  ways  may  be  ever- 
more on  solid  ground,  firmly  planted.  Turn  into  no  devious 
path,  either  to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left.  Reject  all  thought 
of  guile,  mischief,  wrong,  in  any  form.  Are  not  these  noble  words 
of  wisdom  ? 


CHAPTER  Y. 

Solomon  admonishes  the  young  man  against  licentiousness  and 
against  all  association  with  the  lewd  woman.  The  same  general 
subject  appears  in  chap.  2:  16-19  and  6:  24-35  and  7:  5-27. 

1.  My  son  attend  unto  my  wisdom,  and  bow  thine  ear 
to  my  understanding : 


34 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  V. 


2.  That  thou  mayest  regard  discretion,  and  that  thy  lips 
may  keep  knowledge. 

The  fact  that  the  temptations  to  lewdness  are  so  powerful  and 
so  seductive  in  youth  gives  emphasis  to  the  admonition.  Attend, 
my  son,  to  my  paternal  counsels,  that  thou  mayest  rule  thy  spirit 
and  life  wisely,  and  that  thy  words  may  be  always  words  of 
knowledge. 

3.  For  the  lips  of  a strange  woman  drop  as  a honey- 
comb, and  her  mouth  is  smoother  than  oil : 

4.  But  her  end  is  bitter  as  wormwood,  sharp  as  a two- 
edged  sword. 

In  the  primary  sense  of  the  phrase,  the  “ strange  woman " is 
the  foreigner,  the  woman  from  the  outlying  countries  and  of  out- 
landish ways,  i.  e .,  in  those  times,  notorious  for  lewdness.  (See 
the  record  respecting  Moab  and  Midian,  Num.  25.)  The  phrase 
probably  came  into  current  use  to  denote  prostitutes  of  whatever 
nation,  women  lost  to  virtue  and  mighty  to  ensnare  and  ruin  the 
simple.  Of  such  a woman  Solomon  says : “ Her  lips  distill  honey;” 
her  sweet  words  charm  the  unwary.  Her  mouth  is  smoother  than 
oil,  so  artfully  can  she  allure  her  victims. Her  “end”  is  obvi- 

ously thought  of  as  both  her  own  and  that  of  her  paramours  and 
victims.  As  the  honey  of  her  lips  is  not  so  much  sweet  to  her- 
self as  sweet  and  seductive  to  others,  so  her  bitter  end  involves 
not  herself  alone  but  preeminently  those  whom  she  seduces  into 
crime  and  consequent  ruin.  The  figures  make  strong  contrasts; 
the  sweetness  of  honey  in  the  beginning  but  the  bitterness  of 
wormwood  in  the  end.  Her  mouth  is  smoother  than  oil  to  entice 
to  sin ; but  the  sin  committed  becomes  in  the  end  sharp  as  a 
two-edged  sword.  Such  are  the  contrasts  between  the  beginnings 
of  sin  and  the  end  thereof!  It  is  preeminently  true  of  this  form 
of  sin. 

5.  Her  feet  go  down  to  death  ; her  steps  take  hold  on  hell. 

Her  “feet”  and  her  “steps”  denote  not  merely  her  own  course 
of  life,  but  that  of  her  victims  as  well.  She  goes  down  to  death 
and  hell,  but  not  alone;  she  drags  her  guilty  associates  with  her, 

and  together  they  sink  into  the  grave  and  to  perdition! Her 

feet  go  down  to  death.  (1.)  Because  the  sin  of  adultery  was  by 
the  law  of  Moses  a capital  crime,  punishable  by  death.  (Deut. 
22 : 21-25.  See  also  Gen.  38 : 24  ) Illicit  connection  with  “ strange 
women  ” who  were  foreigners  and  of  course  idolaters  would  be  a 
most  aggravated  crime.  (See  the  record,  Num.  25.)  (2.)  Because 

God  has  written  his  abhorrence  of  the  sin  of  lewdness  in  the  very 
laws  of  man's  physical  constitution.  Human  flesh  is  heir  to  no 
forms  of  disease  more  loathsome  or  more  fatal  than  those  which 
stand  guard  around  this  sin  and  visit  their  swift  retribution  on 
the  guilty.  (3.)  Since  repentance  and  reformation  almost  never 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  V. 


35 


intervene  to  arrest  the  career  either  of  the  lewd  woman  or  of  her 
associates  in  crime,  their  course  leads  not  only  to  the  grave  but 
to  the  doom  of  the  lost  beyond.  While  it  can  not  be  maintained 
that  the  Hebrew  word  Sheol,  here  translated  “hell,  ” denoted  pri- 
marily the  place  of  future  punishment,  yet  there  can  be  no  reason- 
able doubt  that  God  taught  his  ancient  people  to  think  of  the 
sinner  s death  and  the  sinner’s  grave  as  opening  the  door-way 
and  leading  down  to  the  wToes  of  lost  souls.  “ The  wicked  is 
driven  away  in  his  wickedness ; but  the  righteous  (he  only)  hath 
hope  in  his  death  ” (Prov.  14 : 32).  “ The  wicked  shall  be  turn- 

ed into  hell  and  all  the  nations  that  forget  God  ” (Ps.  9:  17). 
The  system  of  governing  the  world  morally,  which  God  pursued 
in  those  early  ages  of  our  race,  in  which  he  often,  if  not  usually, 
began  his  fearful  retributions  upon  the  wicked  here  in  time,  and 
before  the  very  eyes  of  men,  could  not  fail  to  associate  the  first 
death  with  the  second — the  judgments  which  cut  down  the  incor- 
rigible sinner  and  drove  him  out  of  this  world,  with  that  final 
doom  which  was  indeed  only  the  same  retribution  resumed  and 
made  eternal.  Let  the  reader  consider  attentively  the  contrasted 
destinies  of  the  wicked  and  of  the  righteous  as  presented  in  Ps. 
73:  the  wicked  “cast  down  into  destruction;”  “brought  into  deso- 
lation as  in  a moment;”  “ utterly  consumed  with  terrors;”  but  the 
righteous  man  peacefully  singing:  “Thou  shalt  guide  me  with  thy 
counsel,  and  afterward  receive  me  to  glory ;”  “ Whom  have  I in 
heaven  but  thee,  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I desire 
besides  thee.”  And  let  us  suppose  that  we,  too,  like  this  psalmist, 
had  gone  into  their  ancient  sanctuary  and  had  heard  there  what 
we  may  read  to-day  of  the  doom  of  Korah  and  his  company  (Num. 
16:  29-33);  how  Moses  said,  “If  these  men  die  the  common  death 
of  all  men,  or  if  they  be  visited  after  the  visitation  of  all  men, 
then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me.  But  if  the  Lord  do  a new  thing 
and  the  earth  open  her  mouth  and  swallow  them  up  and  they  go 
down  alive  into  Sheol  (the  very  word  used  by  Solomon  here),  then 
ye  shall  understand  that  these  men  have  provoked  the  Lord.” 
Such  a going  down  into  Sheol  has  indeed  the  grave  for  the  body 
in  the  foreground,  but  certainly  this  is  not  the  whole  of  the  sin- 
ner’s death.  It  is  only  the  vestibule  of  the  real  hell.  So  of  the 
hell  upon  which  the  steps  of  the  strange  woman  take  hold,  and  to 
which  she  drags  down  her  fellow  sinners. 

6.  Lest  thou  shouldest  ponder  the  path  of  life,  her  ways 
are  movable,  that  thou  canst  not  know  them . 

This  verse  involves  real  difficulty,  and  hence  has  been  construed 
variously.  A part  of  the  difficulty  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  gram- 
matical forms  of  the  verbs  translated,  “ponder”  and  “know,”  are 
ambiguous,  inasmuch  as  they  may  be  either  the  second  person 
masculine  or  the  third  person  feminine,  i.  e.,  either,  “lest  thou, 
young  man,  shouldst  ponder,”  or  lest  “she,  the  strange  woman, 
should  ponder;”  and  so  of  the  verb  “know.” The  sense  in- 

tended by  the  translators  of  our  English  version  is  by  no  means 


36 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  V. 


very  clear.  What  did  they  mean  by  “movable”  as  applied  to 

her  ways  ? Prof.  Stuart  translates  the  verse  : “ That  she  may 

not  ponder  the  path  of  life,  her  ways  are  become  unsteady,  while 
she  regards  it  not;”  in  other  words,  “she  is  so  busied  and  per- 
plexed with  her  vacillating  course  that  she  fails  to  ponder  the 
path  of  life.”  This  seems  to  me  to  be  weak  in  sentiment  for  such 
a connection.  Dr.  Muenscher  gives  it  a better  sense : “ The  way 
of  life  she  doth  not  ponder,  her  paths  are  devious,  while  she  re- 
gardeth  it  not;”  i.  e.,  “she  plunges  reckless  and  headlong  into 
a whirlpool  of  dissipation  and  crime,  the  inevitable  result  of  which 
is  destruction.”  Others  variously.  In  my  view  the  course  of 
thought  in  the  three  preceding  verses  very  strongly  favors  the 
reference  of  this  verse  to  the  strange  woman  rather  than  directly 
to  the  young  man.  The  word  rendered  “movable”  suggests  the 
staggering  drunkard.  I would  paraphrase  the  verse;  The  path 
of  life  she  will  not  seriously  think  of;  she  reels,  staggers,  plunges 
downward  to  her  doom  ere  she  knows  it.  That  is,  she  goes  to 
hell  in  the  most  natural  way.  Repelling  all  thought  of  the  way 
of  life,  and  staggering  on  as  one  drunk  with  the  poison  of  her 
own  cup,  she  is  gone  before  she  knows  it!  How  fitly,  therefore, 
is  it  said  that1  her  steps  take  hold  on  hell ! Who  can  loosen  their 
fatal  grasp  upon  that  broad  precipitous  way  and  that  terrible  end 
thereof  ? 

7.  Hear  me  now  therefore,  O ye  children,  and  depart  not 
from  the  words  of  my  mouth. 

8.  Remove  thy  way  far  from  her,  and  come  not  nigh  the 
door  of  her  house  : 

The  word  “therefore”  has  force.  Since  the  strange  woman's 
doom  is  such  as  this — so  sure,  so  near,  so  awful  to  herself  and  to 
her  ensnared  victims,  I implore  you  all,  ye  children,  to  hear  me 
and  never  turn  away  from  the  words  of  my  mouth.  Especially 
I entreat  you  to  keep  your  life-path  far  away  from  hers  and  come 
not  near  the  door  of  her  house.  Only  in  distance  can  ye  find 
real  safety.  Take  care  that  ye  never  come  within  the  sweep  of 
her  temptations.  How  sensible! 

9.  Lest  thou  give  thine  honor  unto  others,  and  thy 
years  unto  the  cruel : 

10.  Lest  strangers  be  filled  with  thy  wealth  ; and  thy 
labors  be  in  the  house  of  a stranger  ; 

Lest  thou  give  (not  precisely  thine  “honor”  but)  thy  vigor,  the 
stamina  and  strength  of  thy  life-power  (Stuart  has  it,  “ thy  bloom  ”) 
to  others,  and  thy  years  to  a cruel  one — said  with  reference,  some 
suppose,  to  the  master  to  whom,  as  a slave,  the  convicted  adulterer 
might  be  sold  in  punishment  for  his  crime.  But  it  may  more 
naturally  refer  to  the  harlot  herself  and  to  her  husband  or  other 
friends  into  whose  power  the  lewd  young  man  would  fall.  It  were 
all  in  vain  for  him  to  look  for  mercy  there!  They  might  seiz3 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  V. 


37 


upon  his  wealth,  and  the  fruits  of  his  toil  would  pass  into  the 
hands  of  strangers.  His  manly  vigor  lost;  his  years  cut  short; 
his  money  squandered  and  himself  at  the  mercy  of  the  merciless — 
what  is  he  hut  the  wreck  of  what  might  have  been  a man ! 

11.  And  thou  mourn  at  the  last,  when  thy  flesh  and  thy 
body  are  consumed, 

12.  And  say,  How  have  I hated  instruction,  and  my 
heart  despised  reproof; 

13.  And  have  not  obeyed  the  voice  of  my  teachers,  nor 
inclined  mine  ear  to  them  that  instructed  me ! 

14.  I was  almost  in  all  evil  in  the  midst  of  the  congrega- 
tion and  assembly. 

O,  there  will  be  mourning  in  such  a latter  end  of  human  lifel 
So  great  a ruin  for  so  small  a consideration;  the  wealth  of  a 
noble  existence  thrown  recklessly  away ! Think  of  the  picture 
drawn  here  in  colors  so  vivid ; the  miserable  youth  dying  of  effete 
old  age  long  years  before  his  time;  looking  in  the  agony  of  de- 
spair upon  the  flesh  and  the  body  which  God  made  strong,  but 
which  his  early  vices  have  prematurely  wasted ; and  then  in  the 
bitterest  remorse  cursing  himself  for  having  recklessly  spurned 
instruction  and  despised  reproof ; tracing  his  inheritance  of  woe 
to  its  true  cause  in  his  own  inexcusable  folly,  and  giving  free 
utterance  to  his  self-reproach  as  if  his  last  and  only  remaining 
duty  to  his  race  were  to  turn  his  miseries  to  some  account  for 
the  warning  of  those  who  were  now  hearing  such  counsels  as  he 

had  madly  disregarded ! The  last  words  of  his  confession  go 

deep  and  give  a yet  darker  shading  to  the  life-scene.  “I  was  in 
almost  every  kind  of  evil;”  for  lewdness  breaks  down  the  human 
conscience  and  drives  its  victims  into  almost  all  possible  sins;  and 
this  too,  not  in  secret  only,  but  in  public,  despite  of  the  virtuous 
sentiments  of  the  good — “in  the  midst  of  the  congregation  and 
assembly.” 

15.  Drink  waters  out  of  thine  own  cistern,  and  run- 
ning waters  out  of  thine  own  well. 

16.  Let  thy  fountains  be  dispersed  abroad,  and  rivers  of 
waters  in  the  streets. 

17.  Let  them  be  only  thine  own,  and  not  strangers’  with 
thee. 

18.  Let  thy  fountains  be  blessed:  and  rejoice  with  the 
wife  of  thy  youth. 

19.  Let  her  be  as  the  loving  hind  and  pleasant  roe;  let 
her  breasts  satisfy  thee  at  all  times ; and  be  thou  ravished 
always  with  her  love. 

In  these  verses  the  theme  is  one — to  commend  God’s  holy  insti- 
tution of  marriage  and  to  exhort  the  young  man  to  be  true  to  its 


38 


PROVERBS— CHAP  V. 


vows  and  satisfied  with  its  enjoyments.  The  figures  employed ; 
“waters  out  of  thine  own  cistern;”  “running  waters  out  of  thine 
own  well”  (v.  15);  “thy  fountain”  (v.  18);  all  find  their  cor- 
responding literal  expression  and  hence  their  explanation  in  the 
words,  “Rejoice  with  the  wife  of  thy  youth.”  The  only  words 
of  doubtful  application  are  those  of  v.  16.  And  here  the  only 
real  question  is  whether  or  not  the  writer  takes  the  broadly  com- 
prehensive view  of  a well  ordered  family  which  accounts  children 
as  a heritage  from  the  Lord  and  a numerous  offspring  as  a bless- 
ing to  the  world.  This  is  no  doubt  true,  and  a truth  niost  heartily 
embraced  by  the  virtuous  sentiment  of  the  age  of  Solomon.  But 
the  strain  of  the  whole  passage  favors  rather  this  sense : Let  these 
joys  with  the  wife  of  thy  youth  seem  to  thee  evermore  abundant 
and  sufficient  (v.  16);  and  let  them  be  exclusively  thine  own  and 
not  another’s  with  thee  (v.  17).  In  this  view,  “fountains  dis- 
persed abroad”  and  “ rivers  in  the  streets”  are  merely  images  of 
abundance.  According  to  the  divine  institution,  live  happily  with 
one  wife  and  let  her  love  be  to  thee  as  an  overflowing  fountain. 
V.  19  presents  the  same  sentiment  under  new  figures. 

20.  And  why  wilt  thou,  my  son,  be  ravished  with  a 
strange  woman,  and  embrace  the  bosom  of  a stranger  ? 

21.  For  the  ways  of  man  are  before  the  eyes  of  the  Lord, 
and  he  pondereth  all  his  goings. 

It  is  remarkable  here  that  the  expostulations  against  illicit  con- 
nection with  the  lewd  and  base  woman  are  enforced,  not  by  any 
of  the  lesser  and  lower  considerations,  but  promptly  and  squarely 
by  that  highest  and  most  commanding  of  all — the  awful  eye  of 
God!  That  eye  which  forever  seeth  in  secret ; that  eye  from  which 
no  darkness  can  hide;  which  no  unchaste  deed  or  even  thought 
can  escape — is  on  thee , and  his  pure  mind  pondereth  all  thy  goings. 
Therefore,  before  thou  shalt  suffer  thyself  to  cherish  one  impure 
thought,  say  promptly  as  the  youthful  Joseph  said — “ How  can  I 
do  this  great  wickedness  and  sin  against  God!”  (Gen.  39:  9.) 
Let  this  avail  to  shut  off  all  temptation.  How  can  I afford  to  in- 
cur the  wrath  of  the  great  and  holy  God  ! 

22.  His  own  iniquities  shall  take  the  wicked  himself, 
and  he  shall  be  holden  with  the  cords  of  his  sins. 

By  a figure  common  as  well  as  forcible,  sin  is  personified  and 
armed  with  power  to  seize  and  punish  the  guilty.  His  own  ini- 
quity shall  seize  upon  the  wicked  man  himself  and  bind  him  with 
its  own  cords.  The  executioner  of  justice  will  never  be  far  away, 
Ye  need  not  hope  to  avoid  his  eye  or  elude  his  grasp,  for  where 
the  sin  is,  there  is  the  Nemesis,  the  avenger  to  punish  sin  and  to 
make  escape  utterly  impossible ! 

23.  He  shall  die  without  instruction  ; and  in  the  great- 
ness of  his  folly  he  shall  go  astray. 


PROVERBS— CHAP  VI. 


39 


He  dies,  not  because  he  has  never  heard,  but  because  he  will 
not  receive  instruction.  The  bitterness  of  his  doom  is  in  this : 
“How  have  I hated  instruction  and  in  my  heart  despised  reproof !” 
It  is  in  the  greatness  of  his  folly  that  he  goes  astray.  This  great 
folly  discards  all  wise  counsel,  and  so  he  rushes  madly  upon  his 
own  ruin !— — And  shall  it  be  nothing  to  thee,  0 young  man,  that 
God  has  set  before  thee  a pathway  of  life  along  which  in  purity 
and  innocence,  in  conjugal  fidelity  and  mutual  affection,  thy  foun 
tain  may  be  always  blessed  and  there  shall  be  no  bitterness  ir 
the  end;  while  on  the  other  hand,  he  paints  to  thee  the  strange 
woman  as  one  whose  feet  go  down  to  death  and  whose  steps  take 
hold  on  hell,  and  who  bequeathes  to  her  victims  only  the  bitterest 
remorse  and  the  most  relentless  and  inexorable  doom ! 


0^00 


CHAPTER  VI. 

This  chapter  comprises  various  topics:  advice  to  those  who  may 
have  made  themselves  responsible  for  others’  debts  (vs.  1-5); 
rebuke  to  the  sluggard  (v.  6-11) ; the  ways  of  a wicked  man  and 
his  doom  (vs.  12-15) ; seven  things  which  the  Lord  hates  (vs.  16-19) ; 
and  renewed  exhortations  to  honor  parental  authority  and  coun- 
sel as  a safeguard  against  adultery  and  the  ruin  it  brings  in  its 
train  (vs.  23-35). 

1.  My  son,  if  thou  be  surety  for  thy  friend,  if  thou  hast 
stricken  thy  hand  with  a stranger, 

2.  Thou  art  snared  with  the  words  of  thy  mouth,  thou 
art  taken  with  the  words  of  thy  mouth. 

To  be  surety  for  another  is  equivalent  in  modern  phrase  to  be- 
coming his  security  or  to  undersigning  his  note  or  bond.  “ Strik- 
ing hands”  together  was  one  Hebrew  method  of  publicly  assuming 
this  responsibility.  The  second  verse  is  generally  supposed  to 
continue  the  description  of  the  case,  so  that  the  word  “if”  should 
be  carried  forward,  thus : “ If  thou  hast  been  ensnared  with  the 
words  of  thy  mouth,  i.  e .,  if  thou  hast  orally  given  thy  consent  to 
assume  this  responsibility  for  another’s  debts.”  The  advice  given 
in  such  a case  follows : 

3.  Do  this  now,  my  son,  and  deliver  thyself,  when  thou 
art  come  into  the  hand  of  thy  friend;  go,  humble  thyself, 
and  make  sure  thy  friend. 

4.  Give  not  sleep  to  thine  eyes,  nor  slumber  to  thine  eye- 
lids. 

5.  Deliver  thyself  as  a roe  from  the  hand  of  the  hunter , 
and  as  a bird  from  the  hand  of  the  fowler. 


40 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VI. 


“ When  thou  art  come  into  the  hand  of  thy  friend  ” means 
when  thou  hast  thus  placed  thyself  in  his  power,  where,  if  he 
please,  he  can  neglect  to  pay  his  debt  himself  and  compel  you  to 

pay  it. To  the  Hebrew  word  rendered  “ humble  thyself,” 

some  give  the  very  strong  sense,  “prostrate  thyself,”  give  thyself 
up  to  be  trodden  upon”  (Stuart);  while  others  give  it  the  prefer- 
able sense  of  making  haste. The  last  verb  obviously  does  not 

mean  “make  sure  thy  friend,”  but  rather  be  urgent  with  thy 
friend;  i.  e .,  insist  that  he  must  pay  the  debt  himself  and  release 
you.  By  the  nature  of  the  case,  his  making  his  friend  sure  is 
the  very  point  of  his  own  trouble ; and  now  the  problem  is  how  to 
release  himself  honorably  from  this  assumed  obligation.  Solomon 
presses  his  exhortation  warmly ; do  it  before  you  sleep ; escape  as 

a roe  chased  by  the  hunter  fleeing  for  dear  life. Nothing  can 

be  more  clear  than  the  doctrine  of  Solomon  in  regard  to  the  prac- 
tice of  becoming  security  for  another’s  debts.  It  appears  in  11: 15 ; 
“ He  that  is  surety  for  a stranger  shall  smart  for  it;  but  he  that 
hateth  suretyships  is  sure;”  also  17:  18,  “A  man  void  of  under- 
standing striketh  hands  and  becometh  surety  in  the  presence  of 
his  friend;”  again  in  20:  16,  and  the  same  in  27:  13,  “Take  his 
garment  that  is  surety  for  a stranger,  and  take  a pledge  of  him  for 
a strange  woman;”  see  also  22:  26,  27.  A different  doctrine  ob- 
tained among  the  Jews  at  a later  period,  e.  g .,  in  the  second  and 
third  centuries  before  Christ,  as  the  reader  may  see  in  Ecclesiasti- 
cus  [The  Wisdom  of  the  Son  of  Sirach]  8:13  and  29 : 14-16, 18, 19. 
The  suretyship  contemplated  here  should  be  broadly  distin- 
guished from  either  giving  or  lending  to  the  poor  for  the  supply  of 
their  immediate  necessities.  The  latter  duties  are  specially  en- 
joined. The  practice  of  suretyship  came  into  the  Hebrew  com- 
munity along  with  foreign  commerce,  such  commerce  creating  the 
chief  occasion  for  loans  of  money.  The  laws  of  Moses,  and,  in- 
deed, the  spirit  of  the  Hebrew  constitution,  never  favored  foreign 
trade.  In  the  latter  periods  of  his  life  Solomon  engaged  extensively 
in  such  trade  himself;  but  perhaps  even  then  he  would  have  dis- 
suaded his  subjects  from  it. 

6.  Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard  ; consider  her  ways,  and 
be  wise : 

I.  Which  having  no  guide,  overseer,  or  ruler, 

8.  Provideth  her  meat  in  the  summer,  and  gathereth  her 
food  in  the  harvest. 

9.  How  long  wilt  thou  sleep,  O sluggard  ? when  wilt 
thou  arise  out  of  thy  sleep  ? 

10.  Yet  a little  sleep,  a little  slumber,  a little  folding  of 
the  hands  to  sleep : 

II.  So  shall  thy  poverty  come  as  one  that  traveleth,  and 
thy  want  as  an  armed  man. 

The  little  ant  is  put  before  the  sluggard  as  a model  of  industry, 
and  most  fitly.  A very  slight  attention  to  his  habits  shows  that 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VI. 


41 


he  is  a wonderfully  active  and  diligent  worker. Two  points  of 

his  natural  history  are  here  assumed ; viz. : that  he  has  no  recog- 
nized leader,  and  that  he  lays  up  food  in  summer  for  his  use  in 
winter.  It  is  not  important  for  us  to  discuss  the  correctness  of 
these  assumptions;  suffice  it  that  they  were  accepted  as  facts  in 
the  age  of  Solomon.  The  scriptures  were  not  designed  to  teach  us 
the  natural  history  of  animals ; we  therefore  wisely  look  elsewhere 
for  such  knowledge.  The  moral  lesson  is  equally  good  whether 
the  ant  gathers  his  food  for  daily  use  only  and  hibernates  in  win- 
ter, or  gathers  a surplus  in  summer  upon  which  he  subsists  in 

winter. It  will  be  noticed  that  the  lazy  man  is  supposed  to  sleep 

far  into  the  morning.  To  see  the  full  force  of  this,  we  must  think 
of  the  hot  climate  of  Palestine  and  remember  that  if  men  did  not 
work  in  the  very  early  hours  of  the  day,  they  did  not  work  at  all. 
To  give  these  precious  hours  to  sleep  was  to  give  one’s  self  to 
utter  idleness.  Traveling  could  be  done,  and  usually  was,  by 
night ; but  labor  requiring  daylight  was  best  begun  with  the  early 

dawn. uSo  shall  thy  poverty  come  as  one  that  traveleth:” — 

the  force  of  this  figure  being  heightened  by  the  intensive  signifi- 
cance of  this  form  of  the  verb  which  means  to  ride  swiftly;  to 
move  with  the  highest  speed:  and  also  by  the  parallelism,  “ an 
armed  man,”  which  suggests  that  the  traveler  here  thought  of  is  a 
mounted  robber,  an  Arab  highwayman  on  his  swift  steed,  rush- 
ing upon  yo.u  with  the  speed  of  the  wind  and  with  no  forewarning. 
So  shall  poverty  come  upon  the  sleeping  sluggard. 

12.  A naughty  person,  a wicked  man,  walketh  with  a 
froward  mouth. 

13.  He  winketh  with  his  eyes,  he  speaketh  with  his  feet, 
he  teacheth  with  his  fingers ; 

14.  Frowardness  is  in  his  heart,  he  deviseth  mischief 
continually ; he  soweth  discord. 

15.  Therefore  shall  his  calamity  come  suddenly ; sud- 
denly shall  he  be  broken  without  remedy. 

The  type  of  wickedness  depicted  here  is  that  of  guile,  treachery, 
and  secret  combination.  This  wicked  man  artfully  plots  mischief 
in  concert  with  his  fellows,  concealing  his  designs  from  his  intend- 
ed victims. The  use  of  the  feet  as  well  as  the  fingers  for  secret 

communication,  reminds  us  that  the  Orientals  had  either  a slight 
covering  for  the  feet,  or  none ; usually  sandals  when  traveling, 
nothing  at  home.  Kitto  remarks  : “ The  Orientals  are  wonderfully 
proficient  in  making  communications  with  each  other  by  means 

of  signs  and  gestures  with  the  eyes,  the  hands,  and  the  feet.” 

Upon  such  a wicked  man,  calamity  shall  come  suddenly;  it  shall 
crush  him  without  remedy.  Retribution  will  have  her  course; 
society  cannot  endure  such  crime:  God  will  not  long  delay  his 
visitations  of  vengeance. 

16.  These  six  things  doth  the  Lord  hate;  yea,  seven  art 
an  abomination  unto  him  : 


12 


PROVERBS -CHAP.  VI. 


17.  A proud  look,  a lying  tongue,  and  hands  that  shed 
innocent  blood, 

18.  A heart  that  deviseth  wicked  imaginations,  feet  that 
be  swift  in  running  to  mischief, 

19.  A false  witness  that  speaketh  lies,  and  he  that  sow- 
eth  discord  among  brethren. 

This  method  of  enumeration,  by  first  naming  a lower  number 
and  then  adding  one  more,  seems  to  have  been  in  favor  with  the 
Hebrews.  See  four  instances  in  Prov.  30:  viz.,  vs.  15,  18,  21,  29; 
also  Job  5:  19 — Eccl.  11:  2,  and  Amos  1 : 3,  6,  9,  11,  13  and  2: 

1,  4,  6.  Its  use  was  obviously  to  aid  the  memory. Excepting 

only  the  first,  all  the  points  here  enumerated  are  direct  violations 
of  the  law  of  love  to  our  neighbor ; and  this  first — the  proud  look 
— breathes  the  spirit  of  contempt  for  our  neighbor’s  interest  and 
welfare.  The  lying  tongue  which  you  can  not  trust,  and  if  you  do, 
it  is  at  the  cost  of  bitter  disappointment,  men  will  abhor,  and  God 

yet  more. A “false  witness  that  speaketh  lies”  differs  from 

the  lying  tongue  only  in  the  circumstances,  e.  g .,  before  courts  of 
justice,  in  a case  of  special  solemnity  and  importance. “Im- 

aginations”, devised  by  a wicked  heart,  are  not  fancies,  but  plots 

for  mischief. It  is  well  to  consider  that  our  great  and  good 

Father  holds  all  his  intelligent  moral  creatures  to  love  and. good- 
will toward  each  other,  simply  because  he  loves  all,  rejoices  in 
their  welfare,  and  joyfully  accepts  the  obligation  of  doing  all  he 
wisely  can  to  secure  the  happiness  of  all.  How  then  can  he  fail 
to  abhor  those  who  maliciously  set  themselves  to  frustrate  the 
object  so  dear  to  his  heart? 

20.  My  son,  keep  tby  father’s  commandments,  and  for- 
sake not  the  law  of  thy  mother : 

21.  Bind  them  continually  upon  thine  heart,  and  tie 
them  about  thy  neck. 

Lewdness,  in  the  special  form  of  adultery,  leads  the  course  of 
thought  throughout  the  remaining  verses  of  this  chapter  and 

through  chap. 7,  also. As  your  protection  against  this  great  sin, 

Solomon  would  say,  keep  thy  father’s  commandments;  forsake 
not  the  law  of  thy  mother ; bind  them  upon  thine  heart,  tie  them 
about  thy  neck;  see  that  thou  keep  them  ever  before  thine  eye 
and  close  to  thy  heart. 

22.  When  thou  goest,  it  shall  lead  thee ; when  thou 
sleepest,  it  shall  keep  thee ; and  when  thou  awakest,  it  shall 
talk  with  thee. 

These  commandments  and  counsels  will  lead  thy  way  safely, 
shield  thee  from  danger  by  night,  and  commune  with  thee 
sweetly  in  thy  waking  hours.  A lovely  picture  of  the  peace  and 
joy  of  duly  regarding  wise  parental  counsels. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VI. 


43 


23.  For  the  commandment  is  a lamp ; and  the  law  is 
light ; and  reproofs  of  instruction  are  the  way  of  life  ; 

24.  To  keep  thee  from  the  evil  woman,  from  the  flattery 
of  the  tongue  of  a strange  woman. 

A lamp  giving  forth  its  light  in  the  darkness  of  night  and  thus 
showing  the  way  of  safety,  is  a fine  emblem  of  the  judicious  coun- 
sels of  discreet  parents  and  friends.  Their  instructive  reproofs 
serve  to  shield  the  otherwise  unsuspecting  and  unwary  youth  from 
the  bad  woman. 

25.  Lust  not  after  her  beauty  in  thine  heart;  neither 
let  her  take  thee  with  her  eye-lids. 

Do  not  allow  thine  heart  to  be  fascinated  with  her  beauty.  The 
Orientals  of  that  age  painted  their  eye-lashes  and  eye-brows  to 
heighten  the  beauty  of  the  eye.  The  custom  prevails  in  the  East 
still. 

26.  For  by  means  of  a whorish  woman  a man  is  brought 
to  a piece  of  bread : and  the  adulteress  will  hunt  for  the 
precious  life. 

Whoredom  brings  a man  to  the  point  of  starvation,  not  only 
because  it  begets  idleness  and  neglect  of  all  legitimate  business, 
but  because  it  is  a violation  of  law,  and  involves  the  guilty  in  its 
penalties.  In  all  well  ordered  communities,  society  seeks  to  pro- 
tect its  dearest  interests  by  stringent  laws  against  lewdness,  and 
especially  against  adultery.  Solomon  wrote  with  those  laws  and 
their  penalties,  before  his  mind,  as  well  as  the  natural  consequences 
of  this  class  of  sins. 

27.  Can  a man  take  fire  in  his  bosom,  and  his  clothes 
not  be  burned? 

28.  Can  one  go  upon  hot  coals,  and  his  feet  not  be 
burned  ? 

29.  So  he  that  goeth  in  to  his  neighbor’s  wife;  whoso- 
ever toucheth  her  shall  not  be  innocent. 

By  these  forcible  figures  the  writer  would  show  his  youthful 
reader  that  he  might  as  well  take  fire  into  his  bosom,  or  walk  with 
bare  feet  on  burning  coals  and  yet  think  to  escape  harm,  as  yield 
to  the  temptations  to  adultery,  and  yet  escape  just  retribution  for 
such  sin.  Let  him  not  think  of  adultery  as  anything  but  guilt, 
crime,  an  outrage  on  most  sacred  rights ; an  abomination  both  to 
man  and  to  God. 

30  Men  do  not  despise  a thief,  if  he  steal  to  satisfy  his 
soul  when  he  is  hungry ; 

31.  But  he  shall  be  found,  he  shall  restore  seven-fold  ; 
he  shall  give  all  the  substance  of  his  house. 


44 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VII. 


Comparing  this  sin  with  theft,  Solomon  says  that  men  will  so  far 
abate  their  abhorrence  of  the  thief,  as  not  to  despise  him  when 
he  steals  to  appease  the  gnawings  of  hunger;  yet  if  he  is  discov- 
ered and  convicted,  he  must  bear  the  sternest  penalties  of  the  law, 
restoring  seven-fold,  even  if  this  should  strip  him  of  all  his  sub- 
stance. But  he  implies  that  the  adulterer  will  have  no  such  abate- 
ment from  the  contempt  and  abhorrence  of  the  community,  nor 
will  the  law  remit  a particle  of  its  most  righteous  penalties  in  his 
behalf.  He  neither  deserves  nor  will  he  have  the  least  sympathy; 
he  will  look  in  vain  for  any  softening  down  in  the  severity  of  his 
condemnation,  whether  in  the  public  sentiment  of  the  community, 
the  penalties  of  civil  law,  or  the  just  retributions  of  the  Almighty. 

32.  But  whoso  committetli  adultery  with  a woman  lack- 
eth  understanding  : he  that  doeth  it  destroyeth  his  own  soul. 

33.  A wound  and  dishonor  shall  he  get;  and  his  reproach 
shall  not  be  wiped  away. 

No  sin  evinces  greater  folly  and  a more  fatal  lack  of  discretion ; 
none  other  carries  a more  terrible  ruin  to  one’s  own  soul.  His 
good  name  perishes ; his  reproach  no  tears  can  wipe  away.  Who 
can  ever  trust  the  adulterous  young  man  to  regard  any  rights  or 
interests  of  his  fellow  beings  of  either  sex?  How  can  he  be 
thought  of  otherwise  than  as  a reckless  enemy  of  his  race  ? 

34.  For  jealousy  is  the  rage  of  a man  : therefore  he  will 
not  spare  in  the  day  of  vengeance. 

35.  He  will  not  regard  any  ransom  ; neither  will  he  rest 
content,  though  thou  givest  many  gifts. 

The  injured  husband  is  brought  to  view  here.  No  rage  burns 
more  fiercely  in  human  bosoms  than  this  jealousy  of  the  rights 
of  the  marriage  covenant.  How  often  in  every  age  do  we  see 
this  declaration  verified;  “He  will  not  spare  in  the  day  of 
vengeance!”  He  spurns  the  poor  ransom  that  money  can  make; 
you  can  not  pacify  him  even  with  many  gifts.  He  will  forever 
feel  that  the  outrage  and  wrong  are  such  as  no  money  can  repair. 
Why  then  should  the  young  be  so  reckless  as  to  incur  such  rage 
and  such  fearful  retribution! 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  subject  with  which  chap.  6 closes  is  resumed  and  presented 
in  somewhat  new  aspects ; the  writer  exhorting  the  young  man  to 
keep  his  commandments  and  cherish  wisdom  (vs.  1-4),  that  so  he 
may  be  preserved  from  the  strange  woman  (v.  5).  To  put  the 
virtuous  upon  their  guard  and  to  fill  them  with  a just  abhorrence 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VII. 


45 


of  the  ways  of  crime,  he  sketches  a life-scene  in  which  are  traced, 
first,  the  young  man  void  of  understanding,  abroad  in  the  dark 
night  (vs.  8,  9);  then  a harlot  and  her  vile  seductions  (vs.  10-20), 
and  the  sudden  and  fearful  ruin  in  which  she  involves  her  vic- 
tims (vs.  21-23);  closing  with  renewed  exhortations  against  being 
allured  by  one  who  has  ruined  her  thousands  and  whose  “ house 
is  the  way  to  hell,  going  down  to  the  chambers  of  death  ” 
(vs.  24-27). 

1.  My  son,  keep  my  words,  and  lay  up  my  command- 
ments with  thee. 

2.  Keep  my  commandments,  and  live;  and  my  law  as 
the  apple  of  thine  eye. 

8.  Bind  them  upon  thy  fingers,  write  them  upon  the 
table  of  thine  heart. 

In  the  phrase  (v.  2),  “ Keep  my  commandments  and  live,”  the 
word  “live”  is  not  a command  but  a promise;  keep  my  com- 
mandments; so  shalt  thou  live:  it  shall  be  th.y  life. The 

“apple  of  the  eye”  is  the  pupil;  in  Heb.  the  little  man  of  the 
eye,  the  part  in  which  you  may  see  your  own  image  (diminutively) 
reflected.  The  sense:  Keep  my  commandments  with  the  utmost 
care  as  you  guard  your  eye  from  harm.  This  exhortation  is 
pressed  and  illustrated  by  every  variety  of  figure — bind  these 
commandments  upon  thy  fingers  to  be  ever  before  thine  eye;  write 
them  upon  tablets  (not  of  silver  or  brass,  but)  of  thy  heart. 

4.  Say  unto  wisdom,  Thou  art  my  sister ; and  call  under- 
standing thy  kinswoman : 

5.  That  they  may  keep  thee  from  the  strange  woman, 
from  the  stranger  which  flattereth  with  her  words. 

Bring  wisdom  into  the  most  endearing  relations  to  thyself;  let 
her  be  to  thee  as  a sister,  a dear  relative  and  bosom  friend  whose 
counsels  thou  wilt  most  tenderly  cherish.  The  special  reason  for 
this  as  put  here  is,  to  keep  thee  from  the  allurements  of  the  vile 
woman — one  among  the  chief  dangers  incident  to  youth. 

6.  For  at  the  window  of  my  house  I looked  through  my 
casement, 

7.  And  beheld  among  the  simple  ones,  I discerned  among 
the  youths,  a young  man  void  of  understanding, 

8.  Passing  through  the  street  near  her  corner;  and  he 
went  the  way  to  her  house, 

9.  In  the  twilight,  in  the  evening,  in  the  black  and  dark 
night : 

“Casement  ’ should  rather  be  lattice.  The  same  word  occur- 
ring (Judg.  5:  28)  is  there  translated  “lattico.” Solomon  is 

careful  to  indicate  that  this  young  man  was  one  of  the  “simple 


46 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  VII. 


ones,”  never  forethoughtful  of  consequences  and  easily  led  into 
crime;  one  who,  in  the  strong  language  of  the  writer,  lacked  heart 
(was  “void  of  understanding”).  He  saw  him  take  the  way  to  her 
house;  it  was  not  in  open  day  when  good  people  transact  their 
business,  but  in  the  late  evening,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  dark 
night. 

10.  And,  behold,  there  met  him  a woman  with  the  attire 
of  a harlot,  and  subtile  of  heart. 

11.  (She  is  loud  and  stubborn  ; her  feet  abide  not  in  her 
house : 

12.  Now  is  she  without,  now  in  the  streets,  and  lieth  in 
wait  at  every  corner.) 

In  oriental  life,  both  ancient  and  modern,  harlots  had  an  attire 

of  their  own.  (See  Gen.  38:  14,  15.) “Subtile,”  not  frank, 

truthful;  but  of  concealed  purpose,  presenting  a face  fair  but 
false.  “Loud,”  i.  e .,  bold,  void  of  modesty — one  of  her  usual 

characteristics. “ She  is  stubborn,”  in  the  sense  of  having 

broken  utterly  away  from  the  obligations  of  her  marriage  covenant 
and  of  being  reckless  of  all  right  and  duty.  The  original  gives 
precisely  the  idea  of  refractory , law-breaking  and  self-willed.  “Her 
feet  abide  not  in  her  house;”  her  heart  and  life,  her  labors  and 
her  pleasures,  are  not  there.  Her  character  reminds  us  by  con- 
trast of  those  golden  words  by  Paul : “ Teach  the  young  women 
to  be  sober;  to  love  their  husbands;  to  love  their  children;  to 
be  discreet,  chaste,  keepers  at  home  ” (Tit.  2:  4,  5). 

13.  So  she  caught  him,  and  kissed  him,  and  with  an 
impudent  face  said  unto  him, 

14.  I have  peace  offerings  with  me  ; this  day  have  I paid 
my  vows. 

“With  an  impudent  face”  is  put  forcibly  in  the  Hebrew:  “She 
made  her  face  strong ;”  she  assumed  a brazen  impudence,  as  a 
woman  would  need  to  do  to  perpetrate  such  falsehoods  for  so  vile 
a purpose.  Now  she  becomes  very  religious;  she  has  made  a 
sacred  vow  and  has  a thanksgiving  festival  on  hand,  and  it  there- 
fore happens  most  opportunely  that  she  has  found  her  dear  friend 
just  at  this  auspicious  moment  to  enjoy  this  feast  with  her. 

15.  Therefore  came  I forth  to  meet  thee,  diligently  to 
seek  thy  face,  and  I have  found  thee. 

16.  I have  decked  my  bed  with  coverings  of  tapestry, 
with  carved  works , with  fine  linen  of  Egypt. 

17.  I have  perfumed  my  bed  with  myrrh,  aloes,  and 
cinnamon. 

For  this  very  purpose,  she  says,  I came  out  in  the  depth  of 
this  dark  night  to  meet  thee,  to  seek  after  thee  very  earnestly, 

and  now  I am  most  happy  to  find  thee.. In  v.  16,  the  word 

“carved”  misleads  the  mind,  the  sense  being  only,  “I  have  made 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VII. 


47 


up  my  bed  with  coverlets,  striped  with  various  colors,  of  the  fine 
linen  of  Egypt;  all  in  the  highest  style  of  refinement.”  To  this 
she  adds  that  she  has  sprinkled  her  couch  with  the  choicest  per- 
fumes known  to  the  East. 

18.  Come,  let  us  take  our  fill  of  love  until  the  morning  : 
let  us  solace  ourselves  with  loves. 

19.  For  the  goodman  is  not  at  home,  he  is  gone  a long 
journey : 

20.  He  hath  taken  a bag  of  money  with  him,  and  will 
come  home  at  the  day  appointed. 

The  “ goodman”  is  not  merely  the  lord  of  the  house,  but  the 
husband.  The  Hebrew  has  it  precisely,  “There  is  nothing  of 
the  man  in  his  house;”  but  the  article,  “ the  man,”  points  him  out 
as  the  head  of  the  house  and  the  real  husband  of  this  vile  adul- 
teress.  He  having  taken  a bag  of  money  for  a long  journey, 

you  need  not  fear  his  unexpected  return.  The  word  she  used 
seems  to  mean,  he  will  come  home  at  the  day  of  the  full  moon; 
entirely  definite,  and  a long  time  hence,  since  this  was  in  a dark 
and  therefore  moonless  night,  near  the  new  moon. 

21.  With  her  much  fair  speech  she  caused  him  to  yield, 
with  the  flattering  of  her  lips  she  forced  him. 

22.  He  goeth  after  her  straightway,  as  an  ox  goeth  to 
the  slaughter,  or  as  a fool  to  the  correction  of  the  stocks  ; 

23.  Till  a dart  strike  through  his  liver  ; as  a bird  hasteth 
to  the  snare,  and  knoweth  not  that  it  is  for  his  life. 

With  such  allurements  she  drew  him  into  her  toils.  Note  the 
accumulation  of  figures.  He  went  with  her  as  an  ox  goeth  to 
the  slaughter,  all  unconscious  of  his  doom ; as  a man  foot-chained 
to  the  correction  of  his  folly;  as  a bird  hastening  to  the  snare 
that  is  to  seize  and  hold  him.  So  he  goes,  till  a death  dart  strikes 
to  his  liver.  The  general  sense  of  the  passage  is  clear,  but  the 
precise  meaning  of  the  clause  rendered,  “As  a fool  to  the  correc- 
tion of  the  stocks,”  is  somewhat  doubtful.  I have  given  the  sense 
which  seems  on  the  whole  best  supported.  The  case  is  that  of 
one  already  bound  and  being  led  to  punishment;  but  it  is  to  the 
correction  or  chastisement  of  a fool,  i.  e .,  of  one  who  is  reckless, 
or  of  too  little  sense  to  be  aware  of  what  is  before  him. 

24.  Hearken  unto  me  now  therefore,  O ye  children,  and 
attend  to  the  words  of  my  mouth. 

25.  Let  not  thine  heart  decline  to  her  ways,  go  not  astray 
in  her  paths. 

“Therefore,”  since  such  a doom  fastens  itself  inevitably  upon 
such  a crime,  I implore  you  to  hearken  to  my  counsels  and  never 
let  thy  heart  lean  toward  her  ways,  or  thy  feet  wander  from  the 
right  course  into  her  deadly  paths. 

3 


48 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VII. 


26.  For  slie  hath  cast  down  many  wounded:  yea,  many 
strong  men  have  been  slain  by  her. 

27.  Her  house  is  the  way  to  hell,  going  down  to  the 
chambers  of  death. 

In  v.  26  the  word  rendered  11  strong  ” often  means  simply  many— 
a sense  to  be  preferred  here  because  the  parallelism  sustains  it. 
Literally,  therefore,  it  is — She  hath  cast  down  many  wounded; 
yea,  countless  are  her  slain  Not  only  her  wounded  but  her  slain 
are  a vast  number.  Truly  then  her  house  is  the  way  to  hell,  the 
broad  way,  thronged  with  reckless  young  men,  void  of  under- 
standing, and  down  it  leads  to  the  chambers  of  the  dead.  The 
word  u chambers  ” looks  toward  the  receptacles  prepared  in  an- 
cient tombs  where  the  bodies  of  the  dead  were  deposited.  Alas  f 
how  swiftly  the  throng,  traveling  this  pathway  of  crime,  press 
along  that  broad  way  to  hell ! 

The  attentive  reader  of  this  book  must  be  struck  with  the 
prominence  given  in  these  chapters  (2  and  5-7)  to  this  gigantic 
sin  of  adultery  and  whoredom.  Yet  none  who  know  the  depths 
of  this  iniquity  throughout  the  world  they  live  in  will  think  that 
too  much  is  said.  Those  may  account  themselves  specially  favored 
who  have  never  had  occasian  to  know  the  amount  of  licentious 
abomination  that  curses  most  of  the  great  cities  of  this  and  of 
every  land. 

One  of  the  most  striking  points  in  these  sketches  drawn  by 

Solomon  is  that  he  assumes  woman  to  be  the  chief  seducer. 

Shall  this  be  attributed  to  a prejudice  against  the  sex,  or  was  it 
only  according  to  the  facts  of  the  case  in  his  age  and  within  his 

knowledge? With  no  attempt  to  exhaust  this  subject,  I call 

attention  to  the  following  facts  as  going  to  show  that  these  views 
of  the  female  sex  in  that  age  were  without  doubt  in  harmony 

with  the  painful  facts  of  the  case. (1.)  Polygamy  has  always 

been  and  always  must  be  debasing  and  demoralizing,  especially 

to  woman. (2.)  Idolatry  was  fearfully,  terribly  polluting.  It 

would  appal  us  if  the  facts  were  spread  out  to  show  the  amount 
of  female  prostitution  connected  with  heathen  temples  and  idol 
worship.  Let  it  also  be  considered  that  such  a sanction  of  pros- 
titution must  have  had  a horrible  influence  upon  the  masses  of 

the  people. (3.)  The  jealousy  of  husbands  toward  their  wives 

which  has  prevailed  for  ages  in  Oriental  society,  the  espionage 
and  seclusion  to  which  wives  and  daughters  have  been  doomed, 
testify  but  too  painfully  to  the  fearful  absence  of  virtuous  public 

sentiment  among  the  female  sex  in  those  countries. (4.)  The 

almost  entire  lack  of  female  education  and  of  all  those  influences 
and  social  usages  which  naturally  elevate  their  sex,  combine  to 
account  for  the  sad  fact  which  Solomon  assumes. 

It  is  one  of  the  brightest  testimonies  to  the  glorious  work 
wrought  by  Christianity  that  it  has  so  signally  elevated  woman. 
In  every  Christian  land  her  sphere  is  indefinitely  higher  than  it 
was  in  the  age  of  Solomon  or  than  it  ever  was  in  the  ancient 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIII. 


49 


East. The  assumption  which  appears  here  that  woman  is  the 

chief  seducer  to  lewdness — an  assumption  no  doubt  truthful  then — 
is  now  to  us  simply  shocking.  The  modern  social  state,  leavened 
by  Christianity,  refuses  to  justify  this  assumption.  The  world  has 
been  lifted  from  that  fearful  depth  of  corruption  which  such  de- 
basement in  the  female  sex  indicates. Yet  let  it  be  distinctly 

noted  that  the  sin  of  seduction  knows  no  distinction  of  sex — is  no 
less  cruelly  wrong  and  no  less  abominable  to  God  when  man  is  the 
seducer  than  when  woman  is.  Every  word  in  this  fearful  portrayal 
of  guilt  and  this  appalling  forecast  of  doom  applies  in  all  its  force 
to  the  young  man  corrupting  the  virtue  of  the  sisters  and  daughters 
of  our  land.  The  awful  eye  of  God  is  on  him  no  less  surely  than  on 
the  adulteress  whose  house  sinks  down  to  hell.  Let  him  not  think 
to  escape  his  just  retribution  because  in  the  constitution  of  his 
sex,  he  avoids  some  of  the  risks  of  natural  exposure  and  conse- 
quent disgrace.  The  thing  above  all  to  be  feared  is  the  curse  of 
a holy  God  which  both  searches  out  the  guilty  in  this  world,  and 
follows  him  to  the  next,  so  that  the  real  question  for  every  young 
man  to  answer  is — How  can  I hope  to  elude  the  eye  of  the  Omnis- 
cient God,  or  evade  the  visitations  of  his  just  and  appalling  retri- 
bution l 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

This  chapter  is  altogether  unique,  distinguished  for  its  bold  and 
peculiar  personification  of  wisdom.  At  first,  as  in  1 : 20-28, 
she  is  represented  as  lifting  up  her  cry  and  making  her  most 
earnest  appeal  to  the  sons  of  men  (vs.  1-5);  commending  her  words 
as  surpassingly  excellent  (vs.  6-14).  She  has  been  taken  into 
service  and  held  in  honor  by  kings  and  princes  (vs.  15,  16);  is  a 
treasure  above  gold  and  silver  (vs.  17-21);  and  is  then  in  a very 
peculiar  strain  commended  to  the  regard  of  men,  because  present 
as  a special  friend  and  counsellor  with  the  Infinite  Creator  and 
Lord  of  all  in  his  glorious  works  of  creation  (vs.  27-31).  There- 
fore Wisdom,  so  honored  of  God,  ought  to  receive  the  most  pro- 
found homage  and  regard  from  all  his  intelligent  creatures  to 
whom  she  brings  a glorious  wealth  of  blessings  (vs.  32-36). 

1.  Doth  not  wisdom  cry  ? and  understanding  put  forth 
her  voice? 

2.  She  standeth  in  the  top  of  high  places,  by  the  way  in 
the  places  of  the  paths. 

3.  She  crieth  at  the  gates,  at  the  entry  of  the  city,  at  the 
coming  in  at  the  doors  : 

4.  Unto  you,  O men,  I call ; and  my  voice  is  to  the  sons 
of  mam 


50 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIIL 


5.  O ye  simple,  understand  wisdom  : and,  ye  fools,  be  ye 
of  an  understanding  heart. 

Doth  not  Wisdom  cry  ? Most  certainly.  Who  can  deny  it  ? 
Who  does  not  know  it  ? She  makes  her  perpetual  call  to  the  sons 
of  men  to  listen  to  her  voice  and  accept  her  counsels.  In  all  places 
of  public  concourse,  where  men  are  wont  to  assemble  and  where 
she  may  hope  to  reach  their  ears,  she  lifts  up  her  voice  inviting 
their  attention.  With  heart  full  of  love  and  sympathy  for  men, 
with  blessings  most  precious  to  bestow,  she  offers  her  counsels  and 
longs  to  gain  their  ear  and  their  heart  that  she  may  bless  them. 

- — — The  reader  will  compare  this  chapter  with  Prov.  1 : 20-28  on 
the  point  of  bold  personification  in  which  Wisdom  lifts  up  her 
voice  to  call  wayward  men  back  to  God. 

6.  Hear ; for  I will  speak  of  excellent  things ; and  the 
opening  of  my  lips  shall  be  right  things. 

7.  For  my  mouth  shall  speak  truth;  and  wickedness  is 
an  abomination  to  my  lips. 

8.  All  the  words  of  my  mouth  are  in  righteousness  ; there 
is  nothing  froward  or  perverse  in  them. 

9.  They  are  all  plain  to  him  that  understandeth,  and 
right  to  them  that  find  knowledge. 

The  subjects  of  which  she  proposes  to  speak  are  of  the  highest 
order  of  value,  the  great  principles  of  truth  and  righteousness,  the 
gravest  of  all  questions  of  moral  duty  toward  God  and  toward  man. 
She  speaks  only  truth,  never  falsehood;  and  such  truth  as  is 
always  plain  to  men  of  upright  and  honest  heart. 

10.  Receive  my  instruction,  and  not  silver ; and  knowl- 
edge rather  than  choice  gold. 

11.  For  wisdom  is  better  than  rubies;  and  all  the  tilings 
that  may  be  desired  are  not  to  be  compared  to  it. 

Here  (as  in  3:  14,  15)  Wisdom  is  put  above  silver  and  gold  and 
all  things  which  men  regard  as  having  the  highest  intrinsic  value. 
“ Receive  my  instruction  and  not  silver,”  was  not  designed  to  for- 
bid men  to  receive  silver,  but  to  put  in  strong  light  the  superior 
value  of  the  instructions  of  Wisdom.  Forego  any  amount  of  sil- 
ver; spend  it  never  so  freely  if  need  be;  deem  it  comparatively  of 
no  account,  that  you  may  by  all  means  gain  Wisdom.  Not  with 
silver,  gold,  and  rubies  only  is  Wisdom  compared  and  found  far 
better,  but  with  all  things  whatsoever  that  may  ever  be  desired. 

12.  I wisdom  dwell  writh  prudence,  and  find  out  knowl- 
edge of  witty  inventions. 

The  Hebrew  wrord  rendered  u prudence  ” is  sometimes  used  in 
the  bad  sense,  subtlety;  but  here  in  the  good  sense,  sagacity, 
sharp-sighted  discrimination,  and  accurate  judgment.  Essentially 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIII. 


51 


the  same  might  he  said  of  the  Hebrew  word  rendered  “invention,” 
which  sometimes  means  cunning  and  malicious  plots;  but  here, 
only  wise  and  well  considered  plans  and  measures  for  useful 
results.  “ Witty  follows  the  old  English  sense  of  wise , and  not 
the  modern  idea — sharp,  sparkling  with  quick  turns  of  thought. 
That  wisdom  “ dwells  with  Prudence”  implies  the  closest  intimacy — 

living  together  on  the  best  terms. The  whole  verse  seems  to  mean 

that,  what  prudential  sagacity  and  large  business  ability  are  in 
worldly  affairs,  such  is  heavenly  wisdom  to  man  in  all  his  moral 
relations  and  duties,  guiding  him  surely  and  always  to  the  best 
results. 

13..  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  to  hate  evil : pride  and 
arroganey,  and  the  evil  way,  and  the  fro  ward  mouth,  do  I 
hate. 

14.  Counsel  is  mine,  and  sound  wisdom:  I am  under- 
standing; I have  strength. 

The  “ fear  of  the  Lord,”  as  used  in  such  connections,  is  not  a 
dread  of  his  wrath,  but  a filial,  affectionate,  reverential  regard  for 
his  will.  Remarkably  the  writer  seems  here  to  affirm  that  this 
is  equivalent  to  hating  evil — essentially  the  same  thing.  Fearing 
the  Lord  is  hating  evil.  Such  fear  is  not  merely  a motive  to  the 
hating  of  evil;  nor  is  it  merely  a tendency  to  such  hating:  perhaps 
Solomon  meant  to  make  a stronger  statement  than  that  it  ensures 
such  hatred,  viz. : that  it  is  essentially  identical  with  it  and  really 
inseparable.  For  with  such  sentiments  toward  God  men  always 
conceive  of  him  as  infinitely  pure,  holy,  and  good,  they  revere  and 
love  him  for  these  qualities;  and  what  is  this  but  to  abhor  all 

sin? In  the  last  clause,  “do  I hate,” — the  personification  of 

wisdom  reappears  in  its  full  force. In  v.  14,  “I  have  strength,” 

is  less  exact  than  “Strength  is  mine;  ” the  original  being  precisely 
the  same  as  in  the  first  clause  ; — “ Counsel  is  mine.” 

15.  By  me  kings  reign,  and  princes  decree  justice. 

16.  By  me  princes  rule,  and  nobles,  even  all  the  judges 
of  the  earth. 

It  should  commend  wisdom  to  the  respect  and  regard  of  the 
young,  that  kings  and  princes  bring  it  into  use,  and  indeed,  find 
their  success  and  their  true  glory  to  be  as  the  amount  of  sound 
wisdom  which  controls  their  life.  Wisdom  decrees  justice ; in- 
spires all  right  governing ; develops  in  man  his  highest  dignity  and 
worth  of  character,  and  the  only  true  nobility  of  conduct. 

17.  I love  them  that  love  me : and  those  that  seek  me 
early  shall  find  me 

Remarkably,  Wisdom  as  here  personified  is  thought  of  as  act- 
ively benevolent,  really  loving  and  rejoicing  in  the  happiness  of 
intelligent,  sentient  beings.  (See  v.  31.)  “I  love  them  that  love 


52 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIII. 


me,”  not  on  the  selfish  principle  of  reciprocating  favors  for  the  sake 
of  getting  more,  but  I love  to  bless  them,  and  when  they  give  me 
their  hearts,  I can.  Their  love  to  me  makes  it  possible  for  me  to 
pour  upon  them  my  choicest  blessings.  Let  all  men  know,  and  in 
their  very  heart  believe  that  the  infinitely  benevolent  God  rejoices 
to  lavish  his  most  precious  blessings  into  all  such  open  and  grate- 
ful bosoms. In  the  last  clause  it  is  a question  of  some  interest 

whether  the  Hebrew  verb  means  early  in  life,  i e .,  in  youth;  or 
earnestly,  dilligently.  The  word  occurs  in  four  other  passages  in 
this  book:  viz.,  13  : 24:  “He  that  loveth  his  son,  chasteneth  him 
betimes , i.  e .,  seasonably,  early.  Also,  1 : 28  : “ They  shall  seek  me 
early,  but  they  shall  not  find  me ; ” but  in  this  case  they  had  long 
refused  to  seek  God,  and,  therefore,  at  last,  God  turns  away  his 
ear,  and  they  seek  him  not  early,  but  earnestly,  yet  in  vain.  Also 
7 : 15 : “ Therefore  came  I forth  to  meet  thee,  diligently  to  seek 
thy  face,”  etc.,  and  11 : 27:  “He  that  diligently  seeketh good,  pro- 
cureth  favor.”  It  appears,  therefore,  that  usage  somewhat  favors 
the  sense  of  diligently,  earnestly,  rather  than  early  in  life,  yet  it 
can  not  be  deemed  decisive.  The  consideration  that  Wisdom  di- 
rects her  appeal  so  generally  to  the  young,  favors  the  sense,  early 
in  life.  A hearty  earnestness  is  no  doubt  implied. 

18.  Riches  and  honor  are  with  me;  yea,  durable  riches 
and  righteousness. 

19.  My  fruit  is  better  than  gold,  yea,  than  fine  gold  ; and 
my  revenue  than  choice  silver. 

“ Riches  and  honor  are  with  me  ; ” i.  e .,  in  my  hand  to  bestow; 
in  my  gift.  “ Enduring  riches,”  and  not  the  perishable  riches 

which  this  world  affords. In  v.  19,  the  first  word  for  “gold” 

conceives  of  it  as  dug  from  the  earth,  i.  e.}  the  native  ore;  the  sec- 
ond, as  separated,  i.  e .,  purified  from  its  foreign  ingredients.  Wis- 
dom is  far  before  either. “My  revenue”  is  precisely  my  income ; 

the  profit  I give. 

20.  I lead  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  in  the  midst  of 
the  paths  of  judgment : 

21.  That  I may  cause  those  that  love  me  to  inherit  sub- 
stance ; and  I will  fill  their  treasures. 

As  to  the  word  “ lead,”  (v.  20)  usage  favors  the  sense,  1 vmlk 
habitually  in  the  way  of  righteousness.  The  consequence  is,  that 
I ensure  the  best  prosperity  and  the  largest  treasures  to  those  who 
ove  me  and  follow  my  counsels.  This  corresponds  to  the  genius 
of  the  Mosaic  dispensation — earthly  prosperity  rewarding  ever- 
more the  virtuous  and  diligent. 

22.  The  Lord  possessed  me  in  the  beginning  of  his  way, 
before  his  works  of  old. 

The  passage  commencing  here  (vs.  22-31)  carries  the  personifi- 
cation of  wisdom  to  its  highest  point  of  boldness  and  sublimity. 
The  conception  throughout  the  chapter  is  graphic  and  grand,  but 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIII. 


53 


prominently  so  in  these  verses. The  early  Christian  commen- 

tators were  charmed  with  the  idea  that  Wisdom,  as  presented  in 
this  passage,  is  precisely  the  Logos  of  John  in  his  Gospel  (1 : 1-5, 14), 
the  divine  “Word.”  They  assumed  that  John  found  his  concep- 
tion of  the  Logos  here,  and  that  his  description  of  the  “Word” 
who  “was  in  the  beginning  with  God,”  was  taken  from  this 
pas'sage.  This  view  of  theirs  fitly  opens  the  main  question 
of  interpretation  in  this  passage,  viz.,  the  choice  between 
distinct  personality  and  poetic  personification.  In  other  words, 
is  this  Wisdom  a distinct  person,  an  independent  actor,  inti- 
mately related  to  “the  Lord,”  yet  really  acting  a second  part 
of  his  own ; or  is  the  language  to  be  taken  as  strong  personi- 
fication, designed  only  to  represent  God  as  having  and  exercising 
his  Wisdom  in  the  original  planning  and  producing  of  the  material 
creation  ? My  views  in  brief  on  this  point  will  be  given  below, 

after  the  passage  itself  is  fully  before  us. --In  this  verse  opinions 

are  divided  as  to  the  precise  sense  of  the  word  rendered  “ pos- 
sessed,” most  of  the  modern  critics  being  in  favor  of  the  sense 
created,  rather  than  possessed  or  acquired.  I think  that  usage 
sustains  the  sense  of  possessed,  yet  I can  not  regard  the  point  in 
dispute  as  one  of  special  importance,  since  it  is  merely  a matter 
of  poetic  conception.  Only  in  this  way  can  we  speak  of  God,  as 
either  creating  or  in  any  way  acquiring  an  attribute  of  his  own 
infinite  mind.  Divested  of  its  poetic  drapery,  the  idea  can  be  only 
this  simple  one,  that  God  exercises  wisdom  in  his  entire  plan  of 
the  material  universe,  so  that  in  this  sense  his  wisdom  was  pres- 
ent and  active  in  his  mind  before  the  earth  was,  before  the  mount- 
ains were  established  upon  their  deep  foundations,  before  there 
was  any  deep  abyss  to  contain  the  waters  of  our  globe.  His  wis- 
dom planned  all  these  wonderful  and  glorious  parts  of  this  great 

s}^stem. “In  the  beginning  of  his  way”  refers  to  his  ways  of 

creative  activity.  Some  give  the  original  the  sense,  created  me, 
the  first  and  chief  thing  of  his  creation.  But  it  is  by  no  means 
clear  that  the  writer  intended  to  class  wisdom  among  created 
things,  as  being  one  of  them,  and  antecedent  in  the  order  of  time 
to  the  earth,  its  mountains  and  waters. 

23.  I was  set  up  from  everlasting,  from  the  beginning, 
or  ever  the  earth  was. 

The  original  for  u set  up  ” means  primarily  anointed , but  in  the 
sense  of  inducted  into  office  and  commissioned  to  a responsible 
work.  In  this  sense  God  determined  that  Wisdom  should  guide 
him  in  all  his  works,  and  thus  installed  Wisdom  in  the  seat  of 
counsel  from  the  beginning,  or  ever  the  earth  was. 

24.  When  there  were  no  depths,  I was  brought  forth ; 
when  there  were  no  fountains  abounding  with  water. 

25.  Before  the  mountains  were  settled,  before  the  hills 
was  I brought  forth  : 


54 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIII. 


26.  While  as  yet  he  has  not  made  the  earth,  nor  the  fields, 
nor  the  highest  part  of  the  dust  of  the  world. 

The  leading  thought  is  beautifully  expanded.  When  there 
were  no  great  ocean  deeps  I was  brought  forth  into  action  to  plan 
this  wondrous  system  of  waters,  made  up  of  mountains,  hills, 
fountains,  streams,  seas,  and  oceans,  all  constructed  to  minister 
to  the  great  ends  of  utility  and  beauty  in  our  world. 

27.  When  he  prepared  the  heavens,  I was  there : when 
he  set  a compass  upon  the  face  of  the  depth : 

28.  When  he  established  the  clouds  above  : when  he 
strengthened  the  fountains  of  the  deep : 

29.  When  he  gave  to  the  sea  his  decree,  that  the  waters 
should  not  pass  his  commandment : when  he  appointed  the 
foundations  of  the  earth  : 

“When  he  founded  [“prepared”]  the  heavens,  I was  there; 
when  he  described  a circle  upon  the  face  of  the  deep,”  i.  e .,  ac- 
cording to  the  views  of  that  and  all  the  earlier  ages,  to  draw  the 
curved  line  where  the  firmanent  above  should  rest  upon  the  ocean 
waters  below.  “ When  he  made  firm  the  clouds  above,”  consti- 
tuting a firmanent  strong  and  solid  to  retain  and  sustain 
the  accumulated  waters  supposed  to  be  stored  above  and  to  rest 
upon  it.  Job  spake  sublimely  of  the  same  creative  work  (37  : 18)  : 
“Hast  thou  with  him  spread  out  the  sky  which  is  strong , and  as 

a molten  looking-glass  ?” “ When  the  fountains  of  the  deep 

waxed  strong,”  i.  e.y  in  the  fearful  surging  of  their  mighty  waves 
during  those  stages  of  the  creative  work  when  the  elements  were 

in  violent  agitation. “When  he  gave  to  the  sea  his  decree,” 

determining  the  shore  limits  which  the  mighty  waters  must  not 
pass;  “when  he  fixed”  [rather  than  “appointed”]  “the  founda- 
tions of  the  earth,”  according  to  the  ancient  well  known  opinion 
that  the  earth  rests  immovably  on  some  deep  and  strong  founda- 
tions. In  all  these  mighty  works  wisdom  was  present,  guiding 
the  creative  power  of  the  Almighty. 

30.  Then  I was  by  him,  as  one  brought  up  with  him  : and 
I was  daily  his  delight,  rejoicing  always  before  him  ; 

The  Hebrew  word  translated,  “ one  brought  up  with  him,”  oc- 
curs but  rarely,  and  hence  its  precise  meaning  is  not  absolutely 
settled  by  usage.  Opinions  vary,  many  giving  it  the  sense  of  an 
architect;  Stuart,  a confidant;  others  a special  friend,  or  a fondly 
cherished  child.  The  sense  of  “confidant”  harmonizes  well  with 
the  scope  of  the  context  and  with  the  frequent  sense  of  the  verb 
from  which  the  noun  comes.  The  idea  is,  that  in  all  those 
stupendous  works  of  creation,  Wisdom  was  in  constant  exercise, 
consulted  (to  honor  the  personification)  in  every  step  of  the  pro- 
cess. And  God  delighted  to  use  his  Wisdom.  He  had  glorious 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VHI. 


55 


purposes  of  benevolence,  and  in  order  to  accomplish  them,  his 
Wisdom  must  needs  be  called  into  constant  and  perfect  exer- 
cise. 

31.  Rejoicing  in  the  habitable  part  of  his  earth ; and 
my  delights  were  with  the  sons  of  men. 

Especially  was  this  joy  felt  toward  the  intelligent  beings  of  our 
world  in  whose  happiness  the  Creator  had  the  most  profound  and 
lively  interest.  It  was  in  view  of  the  earth  as  inhabited  by  a 
race  made  in  God’s  own  image,  that  Wisdom  so  rejoiced  in  those 
magnificent  provisions  for  their  abode,  for  their  culture,  discipline 
and  development,  and  for  their  blessedness  as  the  children  of 
their  great  and  good  Father.  A glorious  view  indeed  of  the 
thoughts  and  plans  of  God  when  he  framed  the  earth  we  live  in 

and  fitted  it  up  for  the  temporary  home  of  his  human  family. 

Resuming  here  the  question  of  interpretation  as  presented  above 
(v.  22)  between  distinct  personality  and  poetic  personification,  I 
must  say  that  the  latter  seems  to  me  to  be  favored,  not  to  say 
proved,  by  the  perpetually  recurring  use  of  the  word  “wisdom” 
in  the  first  nine  chapters  of  this  book  as  meaning  intelligent  good 
sense,  a judicious  choice  of  the  best  means  to  secure  the  most 
valuable  ends.  In  its  bearings  upon  our  relations  to  God  in  the 
great  questions  of  moral  duty,  the  author  labors  assiduously  to 
commend  such  wisdom  to  the  high  regard  of  his  readers,  expatiat- 
ing upon  its  virtues,  its  moral  beauty,  its  fruits  of  blessing. 
Rising  to  a strain  of  lofty  poetic  eloquence,  he  sets  forth  that  “ by 
such  wisdom  kings  reign  and  princes  decree  justice”  (8:  15,  16); 
and  from  this  stepping-stone  ascending  yet  higher,  he  witnesses 
to  us  that  “ the  Lord  by  wisdom  hath  founded  the  earth  ” (3:19,  20) ; 
and  then  to  crown  all,  Wisdom  becomes  herself  a presence  and 
a power  in  the  bosom  of  the  Great  Creator — with  him  during  the 
ages  before  the  matter  of  our  world  began  to  be ; present  through 
all  the  stages  of  that  wonderful  process  of  creation  as  an  intimate 
friend  and  privy  counsellor,  rejoicing  in  the  grand  benevolent  de- 
signs of  the  stupendous  work,  and  blending  her  sympathies  with 
those  of  the  Great  Builder  of  the  worlds  in  the  future  blessedness 

of  those  “sons  of  men.” This  seems  to  me  to  be  a fair  and 

legitimate  construction  of  the  passage,  in  harmony  with  the  course 
of  thought  throughout  chapters  1-9,  and  in  no  respect  forced  or 
far-fetched.  The  same  can  not  be  said  of  the  other  theory  which 

takes  Wisdom  here  as  a distinct  personality. It  may  be  added 

that  this  “Wisdom”  is  not  said  to  be  the  Creator  of  all  worlds, 
but  to  be  simply  with  the  Creator.  It  is  not  said  here  as  in  John 
1 : 3,  “ All  things  were  made  by  him,  and  without  him  was  not 

any  thing  made  that  was  made.” Moreover,  since  every  writer 

must  aim  to  make  his  meaning  intelligible,  the  sense  which  his 
first  readers  would  naturally  attach  to  his  words  should  be  pre- 
ferred to  any  other.  Applying  this  rule  in  the  passage  before  us, 
we  must  prefer  poetic  personification  before  distinct  personality  as 
the  sense  most  obvious  to  Solomon’s  first  readers.  How  could  thej 


56 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  VIII. 


have  thought  of  the  “Logos’’  of  John  as  the  sense  of  Wisdom  in 
these  words  of  Solomon? 

This  hold  and  beautiful  personification  of  Wisdom  as  present 
and  active  in  the  creation  of  our  world  is  here  for  a purpose,  viz., 
to  heighten  the  writer’s  recommendation  of  Wisdom  to  the  regards 
of  men.  The  Wisdom  which  I so  earnestly  recommend  you  to 
honor  and  to  seek  more  than  all  things  else  is  not  only  honored 
by  kings  and  princes  (vs.  15,  16,)  but  is  and  was  the  bosom 
friend  and  counsellor  of  the  Great  Creator  of  the  universe.  Of 
all  the  beautiful  and  sublime  things  which  you  admire  in  the 
heavens  above  or  in  the  earth  beneath,  in  the  ocean  depths,  in 
fountains  and  rivers,  in  mountains  and  hills,  none  are  so  ancient 
as  Wisdom ; she  was  before  them  all  and  was  present  and  held 
in  honor  by  the  great  Builder  and  Framer  of  all  when  he  “ spake 
and  it  was  done.”  Surely  a personage  so  highly  honored  and  em- 
ployed of  God  in  a work  so  magnificent  and  so  fraught  with  utility 
and  beauty,  ought  to  need  no  higher  recommendation  to  your  su- 
preme regard.  Shall  God  honor  Wisdom  thus,  and  will  you  de- 
spise her  ? If  God  so  exalts  and  loves  Wisdom,  let  the  sons  of 
men,  made  in  his  own  image,  reverence  her  voice  as  it  speaks  in 
their  inner  soul.  If  God  built  the  worlds  for  the  happy  abode  of 
his  intelligent  and  moral  offspring,  rejoicing  in  their  prospective 
joy  (vs.  30,  31),  then  let  his  sons  and  daughters  fulfill  the  benevo- 
lent purpose  of  their  great  and  good  Father  and  give  him  the  will- 
ing homage  of  their  grateful  and  adoring  hearts  now  and  forever ! 

32.  Now  therefore  hearken  unto  me,  0 ye  children  : for 
blessed  are  they  that  keep  my  ways. 

33.  Hear  instruction,  and  be  wise,  and  refuse  it  not. 

The  force  of  this  logic  [“therefore”]  has  been  in  part  pre- 
sented above.  The  consideration,  “ Blessed  are  they  that  keep 
my  ways,”  may  have  special  reference  to  the  benevolence,  wis- 
dom, and  consequent  joy,  with  which  God  fitted  up  this  globe  for 
intelligent  man  (vs.  30,  31) — a reference  of  this  sort:  Since  your 
great  Father  has  felt  so  deep  an  interest  in  your  welfare  and  has 
exercised  his  Wisdom  so  joyfully  in  these  munificent  provisions  for 
your  subsistence  and  for  your  highest  and  best  culture,  they  must 
be  most  blessed  who  observe  the  ways  of  Wisdom.  Falling  in 
cheerfully  with  the  wise  and  kind  designs  of  their  Creator,  how 
can  they  fail  of  being  most  richly  blessed  ? 

34.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  heareth  me,  watching  daily 
at  my  gates,  waiting  at  the  posts  of  my  doors. 

35.  For  whoso  findeth  me  findeth  life,  and  shall  obtain 
favor  of  the  Lord. 

By  yet  a new  figure  Wisdom  has  her  palace  of  abode,  and  those 
who  seek  her  counsels  are  to  watch  at  her  gates  and  wait  pati- 
ently at  the  posts  of  hex  doors.  In  queenly  dignity  she  receives 
those  who  wait  upon  her,  and  blessed  are  they  to  whom  her  gates 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  IX. 


57 


are  opened ! To  find  her  is  to  find  life  and  to  obtain  the  favor  of 
the  Most  High. 

36.  But  he  that  sinneth  against  me  wrongeth  his  own 
soul : all  they  that  hate  me  love  death. 

The  choice  of  the  verb  for  sinning  suggests  this  shade  of  thought: 
He  that  misses  my  favor,  making  the  fatal  mistake  of  disowning 
and  disregarding  me,  wrongs  not  only  me,  but,  far  more,  himself. 
He  perpetrates  a fatal  wrong  against  his  own  soul.  All  that  hate 
me  virtually  love  death!  Of  course,  if  they  hate  me,  it  is  because 

they  love  sin,  and  loving  sin  is  equivalent  to  loving  death. Alas, 

the  mad  infatuation  and  sheer  folly  of  sin!  Why  will  not  men, 
gifted  with  noble  intelligence  by  their  own  loving  Father,  be  truly 
wise,  and  not  throw  their  immortal  well-being  away  for  nothing! 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Under  yet  new  imagery  Wisdom  invites  the  simple  to  her  banquet 
(vs.  1-6) ; suggests  the  evil  consequences  of  reproving  scorners  and 
the  good  results  of  giving  counsel  to  the  wise  (vs.  7-9) ; defines 
and  commends  wisdom  (vs.  10-12);  and  closes  with  yet  another 
description  of  the  foolish  and  unchaste  woman  (vs.  13-18). 

1.  Wisdom  hath  builded  her  house,  she  hath  hewn  out 
her  seven  pillars : 

2.  She  hath  killed  her  beasts ; she  hath  mingled  her 
wine ; she  hath  also  furnished  her  table. 

3.  She  hath  sent  forth  her  maidens ; she  crieth  upon  the 
highest  places  of  the  city, 

4.  Whoso  is  simple,  let  him  turn  in  hither  : as  for  him 
that  wanteth  understanding,  she  saith  to  him, 

5.  Come,  eat  of  my  bread,  and  drink  of  the  wine  which 
I have  mingled. 

6.  Forsake  the  foolish,  and  live ; and  go  in  the  way  of 
Understanding. 

As  in  the  previous  chapter  (v.  34)  Wisdom  appears  in  her 
palace,  so  here  the  thought  is  resumed  and  expanded.  She  hath 
built  her  house,  prepared  her  table,  and  now  sends  forth  her 
maidens  to  invite  all  the  young  and  susceptible  to  her  banquet. 
“Forsake  the  foolish,”  says  she,  “so  shalt  thou  live” — a promise 
of  life,  and  not  a command  to  live. 

7.  He  that  reproveth  a scorner  getteth  to  himself  shame  ; 
and  he  that  rebuketh  a wicked  man  getteth  himself  a blot. 


58 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  IX. 


8.  Reprove  not  a scorner,  lest  he  hate  thee : rebuke  a 
wise  man,  and  he  will  love  thee. 

9.  Give  instruction  to  a wise  man,  and  he  will  he  yet 
wiser : teach  a just  man,  and  he  will  increase  in  learning. 

Some  have  supposed  that  these  allusions  to  the  hopelessness  of 
reclaiming  the  scorner  and  to  the  reaction  of  shame  upon  those 
who  attempt  it  are  brought  in  here  to  justify  Wisdom  for  not  in- 
viting that  class  of  sinners  to  her  banquet.  Perhaps  so.  Whether 
so  or  not,  these  words  suggest  to  good  men  the  reception  they  are 
likely  to  meet  with,  and  the  wisdom  of  taking  every  precaution  to 
guard  against  such  results.  Yet  it  is  scarcely  in  keeping  with  the 
spirit  of  divine  wisdom  never  to  reprove  a scorner.  Sometimes 
they  are  not  past  recovery.  Let  us  incur  the  danger  of  an  un- 
pleasant rebuff  rather  than  forego  all  opportunity  and  abandon  all 
endeavor  to  reclaim  them.  Rebuff  may  indeed  be  a failure,  but 
can  be  no  real  disgrace.  Let  the  good  intention  shield  the  faithful 

reprover  from  all  reproach. The  wise  man  and  the  scorner  are 

broadly  distinguished  by  the  contrast  between  them  in  their  recep- 
tion of  reproof.  There  is  no  mark  of  true  wisdom  more  decisive 
than  a thankful  spirit  toward  a kind  and  faithful  reprover.  Such 
a man  shows  that  he  is  seriously  aiming  to  become  wiser  and  bet- 
ter. His  virtue  is  no  mere  pretense. 

10.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom : 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  holy  is  understanding. 

11.  For  by  me  thy  days  shall  be  multiplied,  and  the  years 
of  thy  life  shall  be  increased. 

Wisdom  begins  with  the  fear  of  God.  This  fear  must  always 

be  its  chief  element. The  word  “holy”  in  the  clause,  “The 

knowledge  of  the  holy,”  refers  to  God  in  the  special  sense  of  know- 
ing God  as  the  Holy  One  and  of  having  a just  conception  of  hi3 
perfect  purity  of  character.  This  is  true  understanding.  Such  a 
sense  of  a holy  and  just  God  imparts  the  best  practical  understand- 
ing of  personal  duty.  Such  practical  wisdom  (especially  in  those 
days)  conduced  to  longevity.  God’s  blessing  was  with  it. 

12.  If  thou  be  wise,  thou  shalt  be  wise  for  thyself;  but  if 
thou  scornest,  thou  alone  shalt  bear  it. 

The  contrast  between  the  wise  man  and  the  scorner  has  appeared 
in  the  previous  verses:  it  is  put  strongly  here.  The  wise  man 
reaps  for  himself  the  fruit  of  his  wisdom.  So  the  scorner  is  his 
own  worst  enemy  and  must  bear  in  his  own  soul  the  bitter  conse- 
quences of  his  folly.  0 how  bitter  in  the  wailings  of  his  eternal 
woe  when  he  will  curse  himself  for  his  folly,  for  he  might  have 
been  wise  just  as  well! 

18.  A foolish  woman  is  clamorous:  she  is  simple,  and 
knoweth  nothing. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


59 


14.  For  she  sittetli  at  the  door  of  her  house,  on  a seat  in 
the  high  places  of  the  city, 

15.  To  call  passengers  who  go  right  on  their  ways : 

16.  Whoso  is  simple,  let  him  turn  in  hither : and  as  for 
him  that  wanteth  understanding,  she  saith  to  him, 

17.  Stolen  waters  are  sweet,  and  bread  eaten  in  secret  is 
pleasant. 

18.  Butheknoweth  not  that  the  dead  are  there;  and  that 
her  guests  are  in  the  depths  of  hell. 

In  several  points  this  description  of  the  foolish  woman  stands 
in  contrast  over  against  Wisdom  as  she  appears  in  this  chapter. 
She,  too,  has  a house  of  her  own,  at  the  door  of  which  she  sits: 
her  seat  is  “in  the  high  places  of  the  city”  (precisely  the  same 
words  which  are  said  of  Wisdom  v.  3) ; like  Wisdom,  she,  too, 
invites  the  simple  to  turn  in  hither,  and  he  that  wanteth  under- 
standing (compare  v.  6) ; but  her  arguments  are  peculiarly  her 
own.  “ Stolen  waters  are  sweet,  and  bread  eaten  in  secret  is 
pleasant.”  Darkness  and  crime  are  her  points  of  attraction.  She 
is  a bad  woman;  her  appeals  turn  on  the  pleasures  of  sinning. 
Alas ! she  may  succeed  in  alluring  the  reckless,  unthinking  youth, 
for  he  knoweth  not  that  the  dead  are  there  and  that  her  invited 
ones  who  have  yielded  to  her  allurements  are  in  the  depths  of 
hell  already ! If  he  knew  this,  would  he  so  madly  follow  her 
footsteps  and  rush  upon  the  same  destruction  ? 

In  view  of  the  strong  and  manifold  points  of  antithesis  between 
this  foolish  woman  on  the  one  hand  and  Wisdom  personified  on 
the  other,  it  is  not  surprising  that  some  critics  should  assume 
that  this  woman  represents,  not  the  harlot  in  her  proper  person, 
but  a false  philosophy,  or  rather  false  systems  of  religion.  This 
construction,  however,  is  ruled  out  by  the  life-like  and  repeated 
sketches  of  the  lewd  woman  which  stand  forth  so  prominently  in 
chapters  2,  5,  6,  and  7.  Obviously  we  have  the  same  character 
here  as  appears  in  those  chapters,  and  we  should  do  violence  to 
those  descriptions  if  we  were  to  apply  them  to  purely  ideal  error. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

Here  commences  a distinct  portion  of  the  book  of  Proverbs.  It 
is  specially  attributed  to  Solomon,  and  extends  unchanged  in  gen- 
eral character  to  chapter  22:  16.  Its  special  feature  is  that  each 
proverb  is  complete  in  itself,  having  no  intimate  connection  with 
what  precedes  or  follows.  Usually  each  proverb  is  made  up  of  two 
propositions  or  affirmations,  one  over  against  the  other,  i.  e .,  in  an- 


60 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


tithetic  relations.  This  antithesis  is  sometimes  direct  and  some- 
times indirect,  the  proper  antithesis  in  the  latter  case  being  between 
what  is  affirmed  in  one  proposition  and  what  is  implied  in  the 
other.  Thus,  in  10:  8:  “The  wise  in  heart  will  receive  command- 
ments ; but  the  prating  fool  shall  fall,”  there  is  no  direct  antithesis 
between  the  dutiful  reception  of  commandments  by  the  wise  and 
the  fall  of  the  prating  fool.  But  it  is  assumed  that  wisely  receiv- 
ing commands  insures  prosperity  and  life,  and  this  prosperity  lies 
over  against  the  ruin  on  the  other  side.  Such  proverbs  have  this 
one  feature  of  the  riddle  or  enigma.  They  are  to  be  solved  by 
tracing  out  what  is  assumed  or  implied  in  one  clause,  and  bring- 
ing it  into  its  proper  antithetic  relation  to  what  is  affirmed  in  the 
other.  Thus  this  class  of  proverbs  was  framed  purposely  to  exer- 
cise the  wits  of  the  reader,  the  pleasure  of  finding  the  gist  of  the 
thought  more  than  paying  for  the  labor.  The  reader  is  referred 
to  a more  full  discussion  of  the  nature  of  the  proverb  in  the  general 
introduction. 

1.  The  Proverbs  of  Solomon.  A wise  son  maketh  a glad 
father  : but  a foolish  son  is  the  heaviness  of  his  mother. 

Wisdom  and  folly  are  here,  not  in  the  intellectual  sense  merely, 
but  in  a moral  also  (as  throughout  this  book) ; wisdom,  an  upright- 
state  of  heart  and  course  of  life,  controlled  by  the  fear  of  God; 
folly,  a wicked  heart  and  life  that  casts  off  all  fear  of  God  and  all 
due  regard  for  man.  It  is  assumed  that  the  former  insures  pros- 
perity ; the  latter,  ruin — for  this  world  primarily,  and,  by  inference, 
for  the  world  to  come. 

The  places  assigned  in  this  proverb  to  the  father  and  the  mother 
respectively  were  not  named  at  random.  It  would  not  do  nearly 
so  well  to  say,  “A  wise  son  maketh  a glad  mother,  but  a foolish 
son  is  the  heaviness  of  his  father.”  It  is  much  more  according  to 
the  facts  of  human  nature  as  Solomon  has  it.  The  father,  full  of 
the  outward  activities  of  life,  enjoys  the  success  of  his  wise  son 
both  because  he  is  in  the  midst  of  those  activities  himself,  because 
they  constitute  as  to  him  life’s  burden  and  very  much  of  life’s 
v thought,  and  because  he  therefore  appreciates  success  in  them  at 
its  full  value;  but  the  mother,  quietly  at  home,  has  but  too  much 
leisure  to  mourn  over  the  wreck  of  ruin  made  of  himself  by  her 
wicked  son.  A father  can  almost  forget  that  a son  is  lost  to  him- 
self, to  his  family,  and  to  the  world;  but  no  mother  can  forget  her 
ruined  boy!  Her  tender  heart  takes  on  the  burden  of  grief  and 

will  not  let  it  off! Therefore,  O thou  wayward  son,  think  of  thy 

poor  mother’s  heart!  Whether  thou  canst  or  canst  not  forget  that 
thy  father  has  no  joy  in  thy  wisdom  and  in  thy  consequent  success 
in  life,  O remember  thy  fond  mother’s  incurable  grief,  and  let  the 
breaking  of  her  heart  by  thy  folly  and  crime  haunt  thee  by  day 
and  by  night  and  embitter  every  cup  of  sinful  pleasure  that  Satan 
can  ever  press  to  thy  lips. 

2.  Treasures  of  wickedness  profit  nothing:  but  right- 
eousness delivereth  from  death. 


PROVERBS -CHAP.  X. 


61 


“Treasures  of  wickedness”  are  treasures  ill-gotten,  i e .,  by  op- 
pression, fraud,  theft,  robbery.  To  say  that  such  treasures  profit 
nothing  is  the  most  effective  thing  that  could  be  said,  because 
men  do  not  perpetrate  such  wickedness  for  its  own  sake,  but  for 
the  sake  of  the  gain  it  may  bring.  They  say  in  their  heart, 
“Though  my  conscience  rebels  and  my  heart  recoils  from  this 
crime,  yet  the  money  I shall  get  from  it  is  as  good  as  any  other 
money,  and  I must  have  it”  To  which  God  replies,  No]  indeed ! 
Money  gotten  by  crime  is  good  for  nothing ! It  will  bring  only  a 

curse  ! On  the  other  hand,  a righteous  course  of  life  will  bring 

you  the  utmost  possible  good;  for  what  can  be  a greater  good 
than  to  deliver  from  death,  the  worst  of  all  human  ills?  The 
sense  is  not  that  righteousness  saves  a man  from  dying  a natural 
death,  but  only  that  it  saves  him  from  the  greatest  and  worst  of 
other  human  ills  which  the  word  death  is  used  here  to  represent. 
The  antithesis  lies  therefore  between  ill-gotten  gain,  absolutely 
good  for  nothing — worse  than  no  gain  at  all,  and  a life  true  and 
righteous  in  this  and  all  other  respects  which  insures  the  best 
of  earthly  blessings. A similar  sentiment  appears  in  chap. 

3.  The  Lord  will  not  suffer  the  soul  of  the  righteous  to 
famish  : but  he  casteth  away  the  substance  of  the  wicked. 

Most  critics  hold  that  the  word  rendered  “substance”  means 
desire , in  antithesis  with  “soul”  in  the  first  clause,  which  refers 
to  animal  life.  So  far  from  leaving  the  righteous  to  perish  from 
starvation,  he  will  not  let  them  suffer  sorely  from  hunger;  but 
over  against  this,  he  will  repel  the  desire  of  the  wicked  as  having 
no  sympathy  or  care  for  them  since  they  will  be  wicked. 

4.  He  becometh  poor  that  dealeth  with  a slack  hand : 
but  the  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich. 

Poor  is  he  that  worketh  with  a slack  hand — the  indolent  and 
remiss  who  leaves  undone  what  he  ought  to  do,  and  brings  no 
energy  to  his  business.  Opposed  to  him  is  the  diligent — the 
active  and  earnest  man.  The  doctrine  of  the  verse  applies  also 
equally  to  treasures  of  learning,  and  to  the  higher  treasures  of 
eternal  life. 

5.  He  that  gatheretli  in  summer  is  a wise  son : but  he 
that  sleepeth  in  harvest  is  a son  that  causeth  shame. 

The  thought  is  essentially  the  same  in  this  verse  as  in  the 
verse  preceding.  Be  always  diligent  to  improve  golden  opportu- 
nities, for  to  be  reckless  of  them  will  bring  upon  you  disappoint- 
ment, poverty,  disgrace. 

6.  Blessings  are  upon  the  head  of  the  just:  but  violence 
covereth  the  mouth  of  the  wicked. 

The  last  clause  is  difficult  The  original  Hebrew  is  somewhat 


62 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


ambiguous,  since  it  might  grammatically  be  read,  either  “ violence 
covereth  the  mouth ;”  or  ‘‘the  mouth  covereth  violence.”  The 
following  constructions  have  been  suggested  by  various  critics, 
each  of  which  has  some  points  in  its  favor:  (1.)  Violence  shut- 
teth  the  mouth  of  the  wicked,  smiting  them  upon  the  mouth  (see 
Acts  23:  2),  or  as  we  might  say,  “slapping  them  in  the  face,” 
with  both  insult  and  wounding.  In  this  sense  the  antithesis  with  the 
first  clause  is  direct,  thus : All  men  pour  blessings  upon  the  head  of 

the  righteous,  but  violence  and  abuse  upon  the  wicked. (2.) 

Transposing  the  subject  and  object  of  the  verb  respectively,  thus: 
“The  mouth  of  the  wicked  covers  up,”  conceals  words  [plans]  of 
purposed  violence.  His  heart  is  full  of  them,  though  his  lips  may 
sometimes  cover  them  for  malign  purposes.  Yet  he  will  be  known, 
and  then  curses  will  come  down  upon  him,  even  as  blessings  do 
upon  the  head  of  the  righteous. It  is  in  favor  of  this  construc- 

tion, (a).  That  this  antithesis  is  natural  and  forcible:  (b).  That 
the  collocation  of  the  Hebrew  words  favors  the  reading,  “The 
mouth  covers  violence,”  and  not  “Violence  covers  the  mouth;” 
(c).  That  this  construction  applies  well  to  the  same  words  as 
they  occur  below  in  verse  11.  This  construction  is  therefore  to 
be  preferred  to  any  other. 

7.  The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed:  but  the  name  of 
the  wicked  shall  rot. 

“Memory”  and  “name”  are  here  equivalent  terms,  both  re- 
ferring to  posthumous  fame — what  is  thought,  said,  and  felt  of 
men  after  they  are  dead.  The  righteous  man  leaves  a name 
fragrant  with  sweet  «odors,  hallowed  memories ; but  the  name  of 
the  wicked,  foul  and  loathsome  during  its  swift  decay,  the  living 
are  in  haste  to  forget  and  to  bury  that  it  pollute  the  atmosphere 
no  longer.  It  is  in  human  nature  to  desire  a good  name  among 
the  living  after  we  are  dead.  Hence  the  force  of  the  appeal 
borne  in  this  proverb : If  you  would  leave  your  name  fragrant 
with  sweet  odors  and  not  a stench,  be  just  and  upright,  and  ab- 
jure the  ways  of  the  wicked. 

8.  The  wise  in  heart  will  receive  commandments : but  a 
prating  fool  shall  fall. 

This  proverb,  filled  out,  would  read:  The  wise  in  heart  will 
receive  commandments  and  consequently  will  prosper  and  truly  live  : 
but  a prating  fool,  scorning  wise  counsel,  will  make  a failure  of 
life  and  will  perish.  The  leading  antithesis  lies  between  what  is 
implied  in  the  first  clause,  viz.,  the  wise  mans  success  in  life, 
and  what  is  affirmed  of  the  fool  in  the  second — his  utter  fall. 
There  is  also  a second  antithesis,  viz.,  between  receiving  wise 
counsel  in  the  one  sense,  and  babbling  forth  folly  in  the  other. 
The  latter,  of  course,  never  receives  wisdom  from  others ; he  only 
prates  out  his  own  foolishness. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


63 


9.  He  that  walketh.  uprightly  walketh  surely : but  he 
that  perverteth  his  ways  shall  be  known. 

Perverting  one’3  ways  is  making  them  morally  crooked,  iniqui- 
tous. The  man  of  such  ways  will  be  known , i.  e .,  exposed  and 
therefore  punished.  The  walking  surely  (safely)  in  the  one  case 
and  the  exposure  and  punishment  in  the  other  are  the  antithetic 
points  in  the  proverb. 

10.  He  that  winketh  with  the  eye  causeth  sorrow  : but  a 
prating  fool  shall  fall. 

“Winking  with  the  eye”  means  artful,  covert  mischief.  See 
its  usage  in  chap.  6:  13.  Such  cunning,  malicious  plotting  brings 
sorrow  to  others,  while  the  babbling  fool,  always  divulging  his 
worst  thoughts,  brings  not  so  much  sorrow  to  others  as  ruin  to  him- 
self. The  former  is  the  man  to  be  feared  and  hated.  The  latter 
gets  his  own  punishment  without  much  help  from  the  guardians 
of  the  public  weal  and  the  officers  of  justice. 

11.  The  mouth  of  the  righteous  man  is  a well  of  life : 
but  violence  covereth  the  mouth  of  the  wicked. 

Giving  the  same  sense  to  the  last  clause  here  as  to  the  same 
words  in  v.  6,  we  may  put  it  thus  : The  mouth  of  the  righteous 
man  is  a well  of  life : the  wicked  man  is  just  as  full  of  violence 
as  the  righteous  man  is  of  living  waters,  and  his  mouth  covers 
these  thoughts  and  schemes  of  violence  only  to  make  them  the 
more  destructive.  Naturally  the  wicked  man  pours  out  mischief 
as  the  righteous  man  does  blessings. 

12.  Hatred  stirreth  up  strifes  : but  love  covereth  all  sins. 

The  antithesis  here  lies  between  the  enkindling  on  the  one  hand 
and  the  allaying  and  quenching  of  strife  on  the  other.  The  spirit 
of  hate  stands  over  against  the  spirit  of  love,  the  former  firing  up 
strife ; the  latter  extinguishing  or  preventing  it,  putting  the  best 
construction  they  will  bear  upon  things  doubtful,  and  suppressing 
from  view  where  it  can  be  done  wisely.  Peter  seems  to  have  had 
this  proverb  in  mind  when  he  said  (1  Pet.  4 : 8),  “ For  charity  (love) 
shall  cover  the  multitude  of  sins.” 

13.  In  the  lips  of  him  that  hath  understanding  wisdom 
is  found  : but  a rod  is  for  the  back  of  him  that  is  void  of 
understanding. 

Wisdom  will  appear  in  the  words  of  the  intelligent  man,  and 
this  wisdom  will  bring  him  honor  and  well-being — his  case  in 
this  respect  standing  over  against  that  of  the  man  “void  of  heart” 
[Heb.],  for  whom  a rod  on  the  back  is  the  fit  reward  of  his  merit. 
Scourging  with  the  rod  was  inflicted  often  under  the  civil  law  of 

the  Hebrews  as  also  in  family  government. The  phrase,  “ void 

of  heart,”  describes  one  who  seems  to  have  no  higher  or  nobler 
nature,  but  who  acts  under  his  animal  impulses  only. 


54 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


14.  Wise  men  lay  up  knowledge : but  the  mouth  of  the 
foolish  is  near  destruction. 

Wise  men  store  up  knowledge  for  constant  use.  Consequently 
this  saves  them  from  evils  into  which  they  would  otherwise  fall. 
In  this  respect  their  case  stands  in  contrast  with  that  of  the  fool 
whose  unguarded  reckless  words  expose  him  to  imminent  destruc- 
tion. To  say  that  his  mouth  is  near  destruction  implies  that  this 
destruction  comes  from  the  rash  use  of  his  mouth  in  foolish  speech. 
The  original  puts  the  case  strongly  by  making  the  word  “near” 
an  adjective : “ his  mouth  is  destruction  near  at  hand  ” — a form  o! 
destruction  always  impending  and  ready  to  break  upon  him. 

15.  The  rich  man's  wealth  is  his  strong  city  : the  destruc- 
tion of  the  poor  is  their  poverty. 

The  scriptures  do  not  encourage  men  to  trust  in  riches  rather 
than  in  God.  See  the  words  of  Job  (31 : 24),  and  of  the  Psalmist 
(52:  7),  and  of  Paul  (1  Tim.  6:  17).  Bearing  this  current  doc- 
trine of  scripture  in  mind,  we  may  say  of  this  proverb  that  Solo- 
mon, here  as  elsewhere,  aims  not  to  put  wealth  in  the  place  of 
God  only  as  our  trust,  but  to  encourage  industry,  economy,  and 
skillful  management,  by  suggesting  the  value  of  the  wealth  gained 
by  such  means ; and  furthermore,  that  in  speaking  as  here  of 
the  results  of  wealth  and  of  poverty  respectively,  he  may  have 
thought  rather  of  what  is  than  of  what  should  be ; of  what  is  as 
the  world  goes  and  not  of  what  is  intrinsically  righteous.  It  is 
true  that  wealth  oftentimes  becomes  a city  of  strength  to  shield 
the  rich  from  evils  under  which  the  poor  man  sinks  powerless. 
But  these  results  of  wealth  compared  with  poverty  are  sometimes 
due  to  human  depravity  and  would  have  no  place  in  a sinless 
world. — -Further,  it  is  at  least  supposable  that  the  original  word 
for  “destruction,”  which  means  precisely  a breaking  down , may 
refer  to  the  spirits  of  the  poor  man,  depressed,  discouraged  by  his 
poverty. 

16.  The  labor  of  the  righteous  tendeth  to  life  : the  fruit  of 
the  wicked  to  sin. 

The  antithesis  of  life  is  death — not  precisely  sin.  But  it  is 
assumed  that  sin  brings  death,  inevitably ; and  this  assumption  is 
the  gist  of  the  proverb.  The  word  chosen  for  “ sin  ” half  expresses 
this  idea  of  itself,  having  the  sense  oi' missing  the  mark , making  a 
failure — a fatal  failure  indeed  ! If  what  the  wicked  man  gains  by 
his  labor  works  toward  failure  and  ruin,  how  wretched  his  case  ! 
To  toil  his  life  long  and  get  only  death  eternal  as  the  result  thereof ! 

17.  He  is  in  the  way  of  life  that  keepeth  instruction  : but 
he  that  refuseth  reproof  erreth. 

Inasmuch  as  the  usual  sense  of  the  last  verb  in  this  form  of  it, 
translated  “erreth,”  is  to  cause  to  err)  i.  e .,  to  lead  others  astray, 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


65 


the  entire  proverb  may  be  construed  accordingly — thus : He  who 
keepeth  instruction  (in  the  sense  of  obeying  it)  leads  in  the  way 
to  life ; but  he  that  refuseth  reproof  seduceth  others  into  sin  and 
ruin.  Yet  the  sense  of  the  English  version  is  by  no  means  bad, 
the  last  verb  having  this  turn — makes  himself  wander ; takes  the 
responsibility  of  ruining  his  own  soul. 

18.  He  that  hideth  hatred  with  lying  lips,  and  he  that 
uttereth  a slander,  is  a fool. 

The  general  method  of  constructing  proverbs  is  preserved  by 
making  two  independent  but  related  propositions,  thus : He  that 
hideth  his  hatred  has  lying  lips — is  a man  of  lying  lips  : and  over 
against  this,  He  that  divulgeth  himself  in  slander  is  a fool.  Both 
have  hate  in  their  souls : the  one  conceals  it  with  lying  lips ; the 
other  pours  it  forth  in  slander  and  is  a fool.  Therefore  let  there 
be  no  hatred  in  thy  soul,  since  either  to  conceal  it  by  lying  or  to 
divulge  it  by  foolish  slander,  is  odious  crime. 

19.  In  the  multitude  of  words  there  wanteth  not  sin  : but 
he  that  refraineth  his  lips  is  wise. 

Whoever  talks  excessively  with  no  good  end  in  view  will  say 
some  foolish,  sinful  things.  It  is  wise,  therefore,  to  put  restraint 
upon  the  lips  and  consider  ere  you  speak.  The  folly  of  this  form 
of  sin  stands  over  against  the  wisdom  of  silence. 

20.  The  tongue  of  the  just  is  as  choice  silver  : the  heart  of 
the  wicked  is  little  worth. 

The  tongue  of  the  wicked  is  the  proper  antithesis  to  the  tongue 
of  the  righteous.  Hence  the  proverb  implies  that  the  wicked  man’s 
tongue  is  as  his  heart — bad,  and  of  the  least  possible  value.  “ Out 
of  the  abundance  of  the  heart,  the  mouth  speaketh.” The  com- 

parison of  the  tongue  of  the  just  to  choice  silver  is  expressive, 
showing  that  its  words  are  precious,  fraught  with  the  best  influ- 
ences. 

21.  The  lips  of  the  righteous  feed  many : but  fools  die 
for  want  of  wisdom. 

The  point  of  this  proverb  seems  to  be  that  while  the- righteous 
have  wisdom  enough  for  their  own  salvation  and  to  impart  abun- 
dantly for  the  spiritual  life  of  many,  fools  have  not  enough  to 
save  even  their  own  souls  from  spiritual  starvation.  It  may  also 
be  tacitly  implied  that  such  fools  perish  when  they  might  have 
bread  enough  and  to  spare,  there  being  righteous  men  at  hand  to 
feed  them  with  the  bread  of  life  if  they  would  take  it. 

22.  The  blessing  of  the  Lord,  it  maketh  rich  and  he 
addeth  no  sorrow  with  it. 

All  other  forms  of  good  are  in  their  nature  imperfect,  and  come 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  X. 


66 

to  us  mixed  with  some  sad  alloy  of  evil.  Especially  is  this  true 
of  other  riches  than  that  which  the  Lord  gives.  But  this  is  alto- 
gether pure — an  unmixed  good,  and  no  sorrow  with  it. Some, 

less  well,  read  the  last  clause,  And  toil  will  add  nothing  to  it. 

23.  It  is  as  sport  to  a fool  to  do  mischief:  but  a man  of 
understanding  hath  wisdom. 

Whoever  can  find  sport  in  doing  mischief  shows  himself  a fool 
in  the  strong  two-fold  sense  of  being  malicious  and  also  unwise ; 
malicious,  else  he  could  not  enjoy  doing  mischief  to  others;  un- 
wise, for  such  malign  mischief  is  sure  to  recoil  upon  his  own  head. 
On  the  other  hand  the  man  of  understanding  has  too  much  good 
sense  as  well  as  too  good  a heart  to  do  such  things,  and  is  in- 
finitely far  from  being  mean  and  vile  enough  to  enjoy  them. 

24.  The  fear  of  the  wicked,  it  shall  come  upon  him  : but 
the  desire  of  the  righteous  shall  be  granted. 

The  thing  the  wicked  fear  will  surely  befall  him:  the  thing  the 
righteous  desire,  God  will  grant.  The  agency  of  God  is  involved  in 
the  last  verb  which  is  not  in  the  passive  form  [“  shall  be  granted”] 
but  in  the  active;  he  [ i . 6.,  God]  will  grant.  The  worst  fears  of 
the  wicked  will  be  realized : the  highest  desires  and  anticipations 
of  the  righteous,  God  will  fulfill.  What  a contrast ! 

25.  As  the  whirlwind  passeth,  so  is  the  wicked  no  more: 
but  the  righteous  is  an  everlasting  foundation. 

Some  critics  read  this,  “ When  the  whirlwind  (i.  e .,  of  God’s 
judgments)  sweeps  over  the  wicked,  then  they  are  not;  they 
perish.”  But  the  better  construction  comprehends  both  the  time 
and  the  manner ; as  a rushing  whirlwind  will  tear  along  in  sud- 
denness and  awful  terror,  so  are  the  wicked  swept  away  and  are 
no  more ! But  no  whirlwind  can  disturb  the  everlasting  founda- 
tion of  the  righteous. 

26.  As  vinegar  to  the  teeth,  and  as  smoke  to  the  eyes,  so 
is  the  sluggard  to  them  that  send  him. 

The  point  common  to  all  these  cases  is  discomfort,  annoyance, 
vexation.  The  sluggard  is  a simple  nuisance  to  those  who  employ 
and  trust  him. 

27.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  prolongeth  days  : but  the  years 
of  the  wicked  shall  be  shortened. 

True  piety  prolongs  human  life  in  many  ways;  and  sin  cuts  it 
short.  See  notes  on  chap.  3 : 2,  16. 

28.  The  hope  of  the  righteous  shall  be  gladness : but  the 
expectation  of  the  wicked  shall  perish. 

The  hopes  of  the  righteous  are  a fountain  of  joy,  comforting  and 


* PROVERBS — CHAP.  X. 


67 


even  exhilarating,  and  withal  sure.  But  the  expectation  of  the 
wicked  shall  be  frustrated ; every  ray  of  their  hope  must  go  out  in 
darkness. 

29.  The  way  of  the  Lord  is  strength  to  the  upright : but 
destruction  shall  be  to  the  workers  of  iniquity. 

This  “way  of  the  Lord”  is  not  the  way  of  our  duty  which  he 
enjoins,  but  is  the  way  of  his  own  working  in  his  providential 
agencies.  This  way  of  his  good  providence  toward  the  righteous 
is  to  them  a tower  of  strength,  forevermore  securing  their  safety 
and  blessedness.  The  same  providence  of  God  brings  destruction 
upon  sinners. 

30.  The  righteous  shall  never  be  removed : but  the 
wicked  shall  not  inhabit  the  earth. 

The  righteous  repose  on  a sure,  stable  foundation:  the  wicked 
shall  not  long  inhabit  the  land,  i.  e .,  Palestine,  the  Lord’s  land. 
So  the  word  rendered  “ earth”  should  probably  be  taken,  as  in  the 
Gospel  beatitude,  “ The  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth”  (Matt.  5 : 5). 
Two  reasons  may  be  assigned  for  this  stereotyped  promise;  first, 
that  it  came  into  use  during  those  centuries  when  Canaan  was  not 
yet  in  possession  but  was  only  a land  of  promise,  the  object  of 
intense  desire  to  the  wandering  people:  and,  secondly,  that  the 
Hebrews  held  the  land  from  God,  only  on  condition  of  obedience, 
so  that  wicked  men  forfeited  all  possession  there,  and  were  in 
fact  often  cut  off  by  judgments  or  driven  out. 

31.  The  mouth  of  the  just  bringeth  forth  wisdom  : but 
the  froward  tongue  shall  be  cut  out. 

The  beauty  and  force  of  this  proverb  are  heightened  by  the 
figure  underlying  it  in  the  choice  of  its  words.  The  mouth  of  the 
just  bears  [produces]  wisdom  as  a tree  bears  fruit;  but  the  per- 
verse tongue  shall  be  cut  off  like  dead,  worthless  branches. 

32.  The  lips  of  the  righteous  know  what  is  acceptable  : 
but  the  mouth  of  the  wicked  spealceth  frowardness. 

The  righteous  know  how  to  speak  acceptably,  in  a way  to  please 
and  profit,  because  seasoned  with  good  sense.  The  wicked  speak 
froward  things,  never  pleasing  to  God ; never  fit  to  be  acceptable 
to  men.  It  seems  to  be  assumed  that  they  know  not  how  to  speak 
otherwise  than  perversely. 


68 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XI. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

1.  A false  balance  is  abomination  to  the  Lord  : but  a 
just  weight  is  his  delight. 

Scales  and  small  stones  for  weights  were  used  to  determine  the 
exact  quantity  of  various  articles  bought  and  sold  in  trade.  This 
proverb  teaches  not  only  that  the  eye  of  God  is  upon  all  such 
transactions,  but  that  his  heart  is  in  them  as  well,  and  especially 
that  he  disapproves  and  even  abhors  fraud  in  trade  ; while  his 
sympathies  are  with  the  injured  party.  He  feels  as  those  men 
do  who  are  cheated  and  wronged  by  fraud.  He  loves  the  honest 

dealer. The  principle  applies  to  fraud  in  quality  as  well  as  to 

fraud  in  quantity . In  modern  manufacture  and  trade,  what  an 
amount  of  adulteration  God  must  see  to  abhor ! 

2.  When  pride  cometh,  then  cometh  shame : but  with 
the  lowly  is  wisdom. 

Literally  and  forcibly  the  Hebrew  reads,  Pride  comes,  and  then 
comes  disgrace;  but  with  the  modest  and  lowly  (as  opposed  to 
the  proud)  is  wisdom.  There  is  no  wisdom  in  pride.  It  never 
gains  the  ends  of  honor  which  men  seek  to  gain  by  it. 

3.  The  integrity  of  the  upright  shall  guide  them : but 
the  perverseness  of  transgressors  shall  destroy  them. 

His  own  integrity  will  guide  the  upright  in  safety  and  to  happi- 
ness ; but  the  perverseness  of  the  treacherous  [the  precise  sense  of 
the  original]  will  destroy  them. 

4.  Riches  profit  not  in  the  day  of  wrath  : but  righteous- 
ness delivereth  from  death. 

Their  wealth  may  screen  the  rich  from  the  penalties  of  human 
law,  as  administered  by  corrupt  or  imperfect  men;  but  what  can 
it  avail  in  the  day  of  the  wrath  of  God?  As  said  by  Ezekiel 
(7 : 19),  “ Their  silver  and  their  gold  shall  not  be  able  to  deliver 
them  in  the  day  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lord.”  In  that  day  it  is  only 
righteousness  that  can  save  from  death. 

5.  The  righteousness  of  the  perfect  shall  direct  his  way  : 
hut  the  wicked  shall  fall  by  his  own  wickedness. 

The  righteousness  of  the  perfect  (the  truly  honest-hearted)  will 
make  his  path  straight,  smooth,  and  therefore  safe,  this  implied 
safety  lying  over  against  the  ruin  into  which  the  wicked  fall. 

6.  The  righteousness  of  the  upright  shall  deliver  them  : 
but  transgressors  shall  be  taken  in  their  own  naughtiness. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XI. 


69 


The  word  translated  “naughtiness”  is  the  same  which  I have 
explained  to  mean  desire  in  chap.  10:3.  I take  the  sense  here 
to  be  that  the  treacherous  (unreliable,  unprincipled  men)  will  be 
ensnared  to  their  ruin  by  their  strong  evil  passions.  This  stands 
opposed  to  the  deliverance  which  the  upright  attain  by  virtue  of 
their  uprightness. 

7.  When  a wicked  man  dieth,  his  expectation  shall 
perish:  and  the  hope  of  unjust  men  perisheth. 

This  verse  has  been  explained  variously.  One  objection  to  the 
English  version  is  that  the  last  clause  makes  no  advance  upon 
the  first:  it  not  only  presents  no  antithesis,  but  adds  nothing  in 
any  way.  To  improve  this  clause,  I prefer  the  suggestion  of 
Maurer  which  is  that  the  word  rendered  “unjust”  means  riches 
(as  it  manifestly  may),  thus;  “In  the  death  of  a wicked  man  his 
hopes  will  perish ; yea,  all  hope  from  riches  has  perished  ” [already], 
i.  e.j  even  before  he  is  really  dead.  The  verb  of  the  first  clause 
is  in  the  future  tense;  that  of  the  last  clause,  in  the  past.  Also 
the  former  clause  tells  us  whose  hopes  will  perish;  the  latter,  what 

hopes,  viz.,  his  hopes  from  his  riches: It  should  be  noticed  that 

the  passage  assumes  an  existence  after  death.  This  becomes  the 
more  certain  when  considered  in  connection  with  chap.  14:  32; 
“ The  righteous  hath  hope  in  his  death.”  But  that  future  life  is 

to  all  the  wicked  hopeless  of  good. It  is  not  in  man  to  limit 

his  expectations  and  hopes  by  the  bounding  line  of  death.  He 
must  and  will  expect  to  live  on  beyond  that  line  and  will  hope 
for  good  there;  but  the  wicked  man’s  hope  as  to  that  future  life 
will  perish  ! 

8.  The  righteous  is  delivered  out  of  trouble,  and  the 
wicked  cometh  in  his  stead. 

The  righteous  man  is  delivered  out  of  his  straitness — his 
cramped  and  perilous  position;  the  wicked  man  comes  into  the 
same  trouble  from  which  the  righteous  is  delivered.  So  God 
makes  his  retributions  in  time  express  his  moral  feelings  toward 
both  the  righteous  and  the  wicked. 

9.  A hypocrite  with  his  mouth  destroy etli  his  neighbor : 
but  through  knowledge  shall  the  just  be  delivered. 

The  Hebrew  word  rendered  “ hypocrite  ” is  not  limited  to  this 
specific  sense.  It  means  the  vile  bad  man,  and  here  probably 

either  the  slanderer  or  the  tempter. But  the  righteous  know 

too  much  to  be  ruined  thus:  their  knowledge  insures  their  deliv* 
erance  from  this  danger. 

10.  When  it  goeth  well  with  the  righteous,  the  city  re- 
joiceth : and  when  the  wicked  perish,  there  is  shouting. 

When  the  righteous  prosper,  i.  e .,  stand  high  in  influence  and 
authority,  the  city  rejoice th ; and  with  good  reason,  out  of  regard 


70 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  XI. 


to  its  own  welfare.  So  too  when  the  wicked  perish,  there  are 
shouts  of  joy;  a fearful  burden  is  lifted  from  the  hearts  of  men. 
Thus  forcibly  does  Solomon  present  in  contrast  the  respective  in- 
fluence of  good  men  and  of  bad  in  the  city  of  their  abode,  and 
the  consequent  feelings  of  the  people  as  the  one  class  rises  or  the 
other  falls. 

11.  By  the  blessing  of  the  upright  the  city  is  exalted : 
but  it  is  overthrown  by  the  mouth  of  the  wicked. 

The  usage  of  the  word  “blessing”  seems  to  favor  if  not  even 
require  the  sense  of  benediction,  or  prayer ; blessings  invoked  from 
God  upon  the  city.  Over  against  this,  “ the  mouth  of  the  wicked” 
must  refer  to  words  uttered ; perhaps  their  imprecation,  their 
curse.  Who  can  think  of  the  unmeasured  curses  invoked  by 
wicked  men  in  profane  swearing  and  not  forebode  the  wrath  of 
God  upon  the  city  and  the  whole  land  where  men  so  dishonor 
and  contemn  the  majesty  of  Jehovah  ! Why  should  men  in  their 
mad  profanity  presume  to  dictate  to  the  great  God  the  curses  he 
should  bring  on  themselves  and  on  their  fellow-creatures ! 

12.  He  that  is  void  of  wisdom  despiseth  his  neighbor : 
but  a man  of  understanding  holdeth  his  peace. 

By  very  general  consent  critics  read  the  first  clause,  not  as  in 
our  English  Bible,  “Every  unwise  man  despiseth  his  neighbor;” 
but,  “He  who  despiseth  his  neighbor  is  unwise.”  This  despising 
is  supposed  to  manifest  itself  in  contemptuous  words;  opposed  to 
which  the  man  of  understanding  is  silent,  careful  not  to  utter, 
without  good  reason,  whatever  low  opinion  of  others  he  may  have. 
A wise  maxim ! 

13.  A talebearer  revealeth  secrets : but  he  that  is  of  a 
faithful  spirit  concealeth  the  matter. 

Whoever  goes  about  tattling,  from  an  excessive  love  of  talk, 
with  more  or  less  propensity  to  slander,  will  inevitably  reveal 
secrets.  Putting  him  here  over  against  the  man  of  faithful  spirit, 
Solomon  implies  that  this  talebearer  has  no  faithfulness  of  spirit, 
but  is  altogether  unreliable.  Solomon  would  say,  Beware  of  such 
a man  or  woman!  They  can  by  no  means  be  trusted.  The  Mo- 
saic law  has  a precept  against  this  sin  and  folly:  “Thou  shalt 
not  go  up  and  down  as  a talebearer  among  thy  people : I am  the 
Lord.”  (Lev.  19:  16.) 

14.  Where  no  counsel  is,  the  people  fall : but  in  the 
multitude  of  counsellors  there  is  safety. 

The  word  rendered  “counsel”  means  primarily  the  steering  of 
a vessel.  Where  there  is  no  skill  in  conducting  public  affairs, 
analogous  to  that  of  the  pilot  among  quicksands  and  rocks,  there 
the  State  goes  to  wreck.  Among  a multitude  of  counsellors  some 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XI. 


71 


good  suggestion  is  made  and  the  wise  will  see  its  pertinence  to 
the  emergency. 

15.  He  that  is  surety  for  a stranger  shall  smart  for  it: 
and  he  that  hateth  suretyship  is  sure. 

He  shall  suffer  severely  who  makes  himself  responsible  for  the 
debts  of  a stranger.  The  usual  sense  of  “stranger"  is  foreigner, 
one  who  in  those  times  was  a heathen  idolater.  The  ancient 
Canaanites  were  given  to  trade,  and  for  this  reason  might  need 
to  borrow  and  be  glad  to  get  Hebrews  to  underwrite  for  them. 
Solomon  was  fully  in  the  spirit  of  the  Mosaic  law  therefore  when 
he  spake  strongly  against  becoming  surety  for  a stranger.  In  the 
common  life  of  the  Hebrew  people  which  was  almost  exclusively 
agricultural,  there  would  be  very  little  occasion  for  suretyship. 

16.  A gracious  woman  retaineth  honor ; and  strong  men 
retain  riches. 

The  original  word  rendered  “gracious”  means  rather  graceful- 
ness, most  naturally  referring  to  beauty  of  person  and  grace  of 
manner.  By  these  qualities  women  both  obtain  and  retain  honor, 
even  as  vigorous  active  men  do  wealth.  The  verb  for  “retaineth” 
is  used  equally  for  obtaining  as  for  retaining.  I see  no  reason 
for  restricting  it  to  either  sense  to  the  exclusion  of  the  other. 

17.  The  merciful  man  doeth  good  to  his  own  soul : but 
he  that  is  cruel  troubleth  his  own  flesh. 

The  Hebrew  in  this  verse  is  ambiguous,  admitting  two  dis- 
tinct constructions ; either  this,  “ The  man  who  is  merciful  in 
character  and  to  others,  will  be  practically  so  to  himself;  ” or 
this,  “He  who  is  merciful  to  himself  will  be  so  to  others  also.” 
The  last  clause  is  similarly  ambiguous. The  first  named  con- 

struction, that  of  our  English  Bible,  seems  to  me  preferable,  the 
sentiment  being  that  whoever  blesses  others,  being  merciful  in 
spirit  and  character,  will  be  sure  to  get  a rich  reward  to  him- 
self. The  very  reaction  upon  himself  is  blessed;  the  showing  of 
mercy  to  others  is  a rich  mercy  to  himself.  And  vice  versa,  who- 
ever is  cruel  to  others  and  savage  in  temper,  will  torture  his  own 
flesh.  The  inevitable  laws  of  our  being  compel  this  result. 

18.  The  wicked  worketh  a deceitful  work : but  to  him 
that  soweth  righteousness  shall  be  a sure  reward. 

“A  deceitful  work”  is  here  contrasted  with  “a  sure  reward.” 
The  Hebrew  word  for  “work”  readily  admits  the  sense  of  reward 
or  fruit  of  labor.  Hence  this  sense  must  be  accepted  here.  The 
wicked  will  fail  of  the  reward  they  work  for;  it  will  prove  delu- 
sive. But  the  man  who  sows  righteousness  will  reap  accordingly 
— a sure  reward.  These  results  follow  from  the  laws  of  society; 
and  they  are  sure  in  the  end,  because  God  reigns  to  bless  the 
righteous,  to  curse  the  wicked 
4 


72 


PROVERBS -CHAP.  XI. 


19.  As  righteousness  tendeth  to  life:  so  he  that  pursueth 
evil  pursuetli  it  to  his  own  death. 

As  right  conduct  is  unto  life — bears  toward  it  and  insures  it 
as  its  result,  so  one  pursues  evil  to  his  own  death.  No  other  re- 
sult can  be  expected;  no  other  is  possible.  This  sentiment  is 
closely  analogous  to  that  in  v.  18,  and  rests  upon  the  same  inva- 
riable laws  of  nature  and  of  mind — upon  the  same  infinite  and 
perfect  ruling  of  the  all-wise  Father. 

20.  They  that  are  of  a froward  heart  are  abomination  to 
the  Lord:  but  such  as  are  upright  in  their  way  are  his 
delight. 

This  sentiment  appears  frequently  in  this  book  of  proverbs. 
God  abhors  the  froward  of  heart,  but  loves  and  delights  in  the 
upright  of  way.  He  being  a Great  Father,  rejoicing  in  the  wel- 
fare of  his  creatures,  and  displeased,  yea,  even  indignant  toward 
those  who  would  mar  the  moral  purity  and  so  destroy  the  hap- 
piness which  he  seeks  for  all,  why  should  it  not  be  settled  once 
for  all  in  every  mind,  that  if  men  will  perversely  war  against  God 
and  the  good  he  seeks  for  his  children,  they  must  expect  his  ab- 
horrence and  his  severest  penalties? 

21.  Though  band  join  in  band,  tbe  wicked  shall  not  be 
unpunished : but  tbe  seed  of  tbe  righteous  shall  be  delivered. 

The  first  clause  reads  strictly,  “Hand  to  hand,”  etc.  Some 
critics,  influenced  by  the  parallelism  (“the  seed  of  the  right- 
eous”), take  the  sense  to  be,  From  generation  to  generation,  the 
wicked  shall  be  punished;  it  is  the  perpetual  law  of  God's  deal- 
ings with  them.  But,  over  against  this,  the  righteous  and  their 

offspring,  generation  after  generation,  will  be  delivered. The 

construction  adopted  in  the  English  Bible  is  good,  however,  and 
perhaps  comes  more  naturally  from  the  original,  viz. : However 
much  the  wicked  may  combine  against  God  in  their  wicked 
schemes,  they  can  by  no  means  escape  punishment.  The  right- 
eous are  always  safe.  Age  after  age  they  have  salvation. 

22.  As  a jewel  of  gold  in  a swine’s  snout,  so  is  a fair 
woman  which  is  without  discretion. 

Beauty  without  discretion,  without  the  good  sense  which  insures 
propriety  of  deportment,  finds  here  a homely  but  a most  truthful 
and  telling  illustration — good  for  some  fair  ones  to  think  of!  The 
oriental  fashion  of  wearing  jewels,  pendent  from  the  nose  as  well 
as  from  the  ears,  made  this  proverb  the  more  caustic. 

23.  -The  desire  of  the  righteous  is  only  good  : but  the  ex- 
pectation of  the  wicked  is  wrath. 

“Desire”  and  “expectation”  are  spoken  of  here,  not  with  ref- 
erence to  their  quality  o'*  character,  but  to  their  results , their  ul* 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XI. 


73 


timate  fruits.  The  desires  of  the  righteous  issue  in  good  only,  in 
pure,  unalloyed  good;  while  the  hopes  and  expectations  of  the 
wicked  terminate  at  last  in  the  wrath  of  God.  Instead  of  the  re- 
sults they  seek  and  hope  for,  they  get  only  the  terrible  penalties 
of  sin.  God  brings  them  to  a solemn  and  fearful  account. 

24.  There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth  ; and  there 
is  that  withholdeth  more  than  is  meet,  but  it  tendeth  to  pov- 
erty. 

“ Scattering”  abroad  (in  benevolence,  for  the  good  of  others,) 
does  not  impoverish.  Men  may  give  liberally,  and  through  God’s 
blessing  upon  them,  their  wealth  may  increase.  So  on  the  other 
hand,  one  withholds  more  than  is  just  and  right,  but  only  to  his 
greater  poverty.  It  can  not  be  wise  to  ignore  the  providence  of  God. 
Whom  he  will  he  blesses,  and  whom  he  will  lie  smites  with  his 
curse.  And  his  will  is  to  honor  those  who  honor  him,  and  to  put 
his  mark  of  disapproval  on  those  by  whom  he  is  lightly  esteemed. 
(See  1 Sam.  2:  30.) 

25.  The  liberal  soul  shall  be  made  fat : and  he  that 
watereth  shall  be  watered  also  himself. 

The  soul  of  blessing  [Heb.],  i.  e .,  the  soul  that  blesses  others 
shall  be  enriched  thereby — a proverb  which  follows  in  thought 
the  first  clause  of  the  verse  preceding.  It  is  not  only  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  withhold ; it  is  even  more  blessed  to  give  than  to 
receive.  Giving,  if  done  in  simplicity  and  love,  is  sure  to  come 
back  in  blessings.  • 

26.  He  that  withholdeth  corn,  the  people  shall  curse 
him  : but  blessing  shall  he  upon  the  head  of  him  that  selleth 
it 


“That  withholdeth,”  (i.  e.  from  the  hungry  who  need  bread), 
hoarding  and  holding  for  the  sake  of  a higher  price,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  necessities  of  the  breadless.  Those  breadless 
mouths  will  curse  him,  nor  they  alone,  for  they  are  of  God’s  fam- 
ily, and  his  curse  too  must  fall  on  them. On  the  other  hand,  the 

blessings  of  the  poor  (and  of  their  Great  Father  no  less),  will 
come  on  the  head  of  him  that  selleth  it,  promptly,  in  time  of  need, 

at  fair  and  not  at  famine  prices. 0,  might  these  words  of  God 

be  emblazoned  on  every  store-house  in  all  the  land ! Alas,  that 
dealers  in  “corn”  [all  breadstuffs — indeed,  all  food]  should  so 
strangely  ignore  God’s  words,  and  so  recklessly  trample  his  prom- 
ises and  his  threatenings  beneath  their  feet ! No  wonder  that 
financial  reverses  should  come  crashing  down  upon  the. specula- 
tor’s ill-gotten  gains!  It  is  one  of  God’s  ways  of  fierce  and  terri- 
ble rebuke. The  same  principle  applies  to  fuel,  and  to  what- 

ever else  is  a necessity  to  the  subsistence  or  the  comfort  of  the 
masses. 


74 


PROVERBS— CHAP  XI. 


27.  He  that  diligently  seeketh  good  procureth  favor : but 
he  that  seeketh  mischief,  it  shall  come  unto  him. 

The  verb  rendered  “procureth”  never  has  this  sense  unless  by 
implication,  but  means  to  seek . I take  the  clause  to  mean  that 
diligently  seeking  good — the  best  good  of  others — is  equivalent  to 
seeking  the  favor  of  God;  amounts  to  the  same  thing  and  brings 
the  same  result.  The  sense  of  procuring  is  therefore  implied  but 

not  expressed.  This  implication  is  the  pith  of  the  proverb.- 

Over  against  this,  he  who  seeks  to  bring  mischief  upon  others, 
will,  in  fact,  bring  it  down  upon  himself. 

28.  He  that  trusteth  in  his  riches  shall  fall;  but  the 
righteous  shall  flourish  as  a branch. 

The  sense  seems  to  be,  He  that  trusteth  to  his  riches  for  the 
good  which  can  be  gained  only  by  righteousness  and  true  virtue, 
will  surely  fail  of  it,  and  bring  upon  himself  destruction ; while 
the  righteous  will  flourish  as  the  living  tree — a symbol  jointly  of 
beauty,  productiveness,  and  perpetuity.  u The  righteous  shall  flour- 
ish like  the  palm  tree ; he  shall  grow  like  a cedar  in  Lebanon.” 

(Ps.  92:  12.  See  also  Ps.  52:  8,  and  1:  3.) This  branch  is 

not  a limb  only  of  a tree,  but  the  young  tree  itself,  perhaps  com- 
ing up  from  the  root  of  a former  tree  cut  down,  and  therefore 
shooting  up  with  the  full  strength  of  those  old  roots. 

29.  He  that  troubleth  his  own  house  shall  inherit  the 
wind : and  the  fool  shall  he  servant  to  the  wise  of  heart. 

The  key  to  reveal  the  sort  of  trouble  thought  of  here  is  found 
in  Prov.  15  : 6,  27.  It  is  that  which  comes  of  leaving  one’s  house- 
hold affairs  to  derangement,  confusion,  and  waste,  by  negligence, 
mismanagement,  and  unthrift  generally.  The  man  who  does  this 
shall  “inherit  the  wind” — a most  unsubstantial  thing  to  live  on. 
We  might  say,  He  will  sow  to  the  wind — only  scattering  abroad. 
Managing  so  foolishly,  he  will  become  servant  to  the  man  of  wise 
heart.  Reducing  himself  to  poverty,  he  must  make  himself  the 
menial  dependent  of  wiser  men. 

30.  The  fruit  of  the  righteous  is  a tree  of  life : and  he 
that  winneth  souls  is  wise. 

In  what  special  sense  the  fruit  of  the  righteous  is  a tree  of  life 
is  indicated  in  the  latter  clause.  It  is  so  because  it  is  a blessed 
moral  influence  toward  the  winning  of  souls  from  sin  and  ruin. 
The  results  of  such  labor  are  indeed  a tree  of  life,  a permanent 
source  of  blessing,  insuring  the  highest  good  of  immortal  souls 
for  the  whole  eternity  of  their  being.  The  terms  “wise”  and 
“righteous”  are  essentially  equivalent,  both  being  used  here  and 
elsewhere  for  the  same  class,  viz. : the  good  man  who  is  right- 
eous, not  wicked,  and  wise  in  the  sense  of  fearing  the  Lord  and 
departing  from  evil,  and  also  of  putting  his  active  powers  to  the 
best  possible  account  for  the  good  of  mankind. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XII. 


75 


31.  Behold,  the  righteous  shall  be  recompensed  in  the 
earth : much  more  the  wicked  and  the  sinner. 

The  word  rendered  “recompense”  applies  to  both  good  deeds 
and  bad.  The  proverb,  therefore,  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  righteous  experience  a measure  of  recompense  [retribution] 
in  this  world,  and  infers  that  the  wicked  must,  with  more  cer- 
tainty, or  more  palpably,  receive  a measure  of  theirs.  The  writer 
does  not  necessarily  imply  that  the  recompense  of  either  class  is  to 
be  finished,  made  perfect,  in  this  world,  and  by  no  means  denies  that 

a part,  even  the  greater  part,  holds  over  to  the  future  world. 

The  main  question  of  doubt  upon  the  verse  turns  on  the  reason 
why  he  affirms  “much  more”  of  the  sinner’s  recompense.  Whyis 
the  recompense  of  the  sinner  more  certain  or  more  palpable  in  this 

world  than  that  of  the  righteous  ? Some  answer  the  question  by 

saying  that  the  sins  [not  the  virtues]  of  the  righteous  man  are 
thought  of,  the  sense  therefore  being  that  if  God  punishes  those 
sins  (of  inadvertence  or  neglect,  or  sins  soon  repented  of  and  for- 
saken), much  more  will  he  punish  in  this  world  the  deliberate, 
daring,  whole-souled  sins  of  the  ungodly.  This  may  be  the  true 
explanation.  The  chief  objection  to  it  is  that  the  word  used  for 
“recompense”  carries  in  itself  no  restriction  to  the  punishment  of 

sin,  but  applies  equally  to  the  rewards  of  virtue. Why  may 

not  the  reason  for  the  “ much  more  ” be  this — that  as  virtue  and 
vice  usually  appear  in  this  world,  vice  is  far  more  strong,  palpa- 
ble, and,  may  we  not  say  perfect  than  virtue,  and  hence  the  rea- 
sons, under  God’s  moral  government,  for  its  being  recompensed  in 
this  world  are  more  imperative?  Sin  strikes  boldly  at  Jehovah’s 
throne,  and  challenges  the  Almighty  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  his 

law,  his  cause,  his  people;  how  then  can  he  refuse? The 

apostle  Pet.  (1  Eph.  1 : 18)  quotes  this  verse  from  the  Septuagint. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1.  Whoso  loveth  instruction  loveth  knowledge:  but  he 
that  hateth  reproof  is  brutish. 

The  words  translated  “instruction”  and  “reproof”  contemplate 
the  correction  of  mistakes,  not  in  moral  conduct  only  but  in  moral 
sentiments,  in  opinions  pertaining  to  moral  conduct,  for  they  relate 
to  knowledge  and  not  merely  to  external  acts.  “Instruction,’ 
applied  to  moral  truth,  gives  the  true  idea.  The  Hebrew  word 
for  “ reproof”  means  almost  identically  the  same  thing.  Hence 
if  we  retain  this  English  word  we  must  think  of  it  as  not  harsh 
and  stern,  but  affectionate,  parental,  designed  simply  to  lead  into 


76 


PROVERBS— r-CHAP.  XII. 


righteousness  and  peace. To  love  instruction  is  equivalent  to 

loving  knowledge  because  it  is  the  same  thing  in  spirit  and  be- 
cause it  ensures  the  result  of  knowledge.  But  he  who  hates  in- 
struction acts  the  part  of  a brute  and  not  of  a rational  man. 
So  far  forth  as  respects  progress  in  knowledge  and  virtue  he  might 
as  well  have  been  made  a brute  since  he  persistently  refuses  to 
exercise  those  powers  and  capabilities  which  place  him  in  a grade 

of  being  above  the  brute  creation. What  a view  is  this  of  the 

folly  of  sin  ! The  sinner,  hating  instruction,  setting  himself  against 
the  knowledge  of  moral  duty  and  against  all  right  use  of  such 
knowledge,  is  working  himself  down  to  brutishness  as  fast  as 
possible  ! 

2.  A good  man  obtaineth  favor  of  the  Lord  : but  a man 
of  wicked  devices  will  he  condemn. 

This  good  man  never  plans  mischief  against  others,  but  always 
plans  and  seeks  their  welfare.  Hence  the  Lord  approves  his  spirit 
and  his  life.  But  how  can  he  fail  to  condemn  the  man  who  con- 
trives to  injure  his  neighbor  ? This  man’s  spirit  and  life  are  utterly 
unlike  God’s. 

3.  A man  shall  not  be  established  by  wickedness : but 
the  root  of  the  righteous  shall  not  be  moved. 

In  the  figure  underlying  this  proverb,  men  are  compared  to  trees. 
The  righteous  man  gets  well  rooted,  stands  strong,  thrives  well, 
and  is  never  moved ; but  the  wicked  never  get  a firm  footing  and 
rooting,  but  are  blown  down,  torn  up  by  the  roots  and  left  to  rot. 
God  is  against  them. 

4.  A virtuous  woman  is  a crown  to  her  husband : but  she 
that  maketh  ashamed  is  as  rottenness  in  his  bones. 

The  word  “virtuous,”  no  doubt  includes  moral  purity  and  con- 
jugal fidelity,  but  it  also  means  more  than  this,  viz. : those  qualities 
which  are  portrayed  so  finely  in  Prov.  31 : 10-31 — a capable 
woman,  adequate  to  the  responsibilities  of  her  position  at  the  head 
vf  her  household.  Of  such  a wife  the  proverb  implies  that  a hus- 
oand  may  well  be  proud;  while  she  who  is  incompetent  and 
untrustworthy  in  these  matters  not  only  makes  him  ashamed  but 
brings  over  him  a weakness  which  is  as  rottenness  in  his  bones. 

5.  The  thoughts  of  the  righteous  arc  right:  but  the 
counsels  of  the  wicked  are  deceit. 

The  word  for  “thoughts”  means  rather  plans,  purposes,  those 

which  involve  intention,  will.  He  means  right,  aims  right. 

The  “counsels”  (the  word  properly  means  guidance)  of  the  wicked 
are  treacherous,  having  bad  ends  in  view. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XII. 


77 


6.  The  words  of  the  wicked  are  to  lie  in  wait  for  blood : 
but  the  mouth  of  the  upright  shall  deliver  them. 

The  wicked  talk  and  plot  schemes  of  robbery  and  murder,  as  we 
have  seen,  chap.  1 ; 11-14.  The  expressed  counsels  of  the  upright 
avail  to  rescue  those  against  whom  such  plots  are  devised.  The 
word  “them”  manifestly  means  those  whom  the  wicked  seek  to 
destroy.  So  the  righteous  counterwork  and  frustrate  the  schemes 
cf  the  wicked. 

7.  The  wicked  are  overthrown,  and  are  not ; but  the 
house  of  the  righteous  shall  stand. 

In  judgment  upon  the  wicked,  God  often  tears  them  up  by  the 
roots,  destroying  the  entire  family  and  leaving  no  trace  behind; 
while  the  house,  i.  e.,  household  and  family  of  the  righteous,  stand 
from  generation  to  generation.  This  thought  is  expressed  strongly 
in  Ps.  37.  It  seems  that  under  the  ancient  economy  God  often 
dealt  with  families  as  with  nations,  giving  them  a very  manifest 
retribution  in  time , before  the  very  eyes  of  the  living. 

8.  A man  shall  be  commended  according  to  his  wisdom  : 
but  he  that  is  of  a perverse  heart  shall  be  despised. 

If  the  question  be  raised  here  whether  “ wisdom”  on  the  one 
hand  and  a “perverse  heart”  on  the  other,  refer  to  the  intellect 
or  to  moral  qualities  and  conduct,  it  may  be  said  that  the  original 
word  for  “wisdom”  is  used  naturally  of  the  intellect,  while 
the  word  “heart”  is  used  in  both  the  intellectual  and  the 
moral  sense.  The  final  answer  to  the  question  is  that  Solomon 
associates  a clear  and  well-balanced  mind  with  good  moral  senti- 
ments and  life ; and  on  the  other  hand  assumes  the  wicked  man  to 
be  practically  demented  intellectually,  either  as  the  cause  or  the 
fruit  of  his  wicked  spirit.  The  doctrine  of  the  proverb,  therefore, 
is  that  a man  will  be  praised  according  to  the  measure  of  his  wis- 
dom and  virtue,  his  clear  and  just  views  of  life  and  of  duty;  while 
the  man  whose  wicked  spirit  distorts  his  practical  views  of  duty 
and  blunts  his  moral  perceptions,  deserves  to  be  and  will  be  only 
despised. 

9.  He  that  is  despised,  and  hath  a servant,  is  better  than 
he  that  honoreth  himself,  and  lacketh  bread. 

The  Hebrew  word  here  used  for  “ despised  ” is  not  the  same 
as  that  in  the  close  of  the  preceding  verse,  and  should  be  taken 
in  a quite  different  sense.  That  was  the  contempt  due  to  the 
man  who  had  perverted  his  noblest  powers,  mental  and  moral, 
by  sin.  This  denotes  only  a humble  and  lowly  condition  in  life. 
It  is  better  to  move  along  little  noticed  or  even  disparaged  and 
disesteemed,  provided  you  have  a servant  and  plenty  of  bread, 
than  to  make  a great  swell  in  the  world,  put  on  the  airs  of  wealth 
and  distinction,  and  yet  really  lack  the  commonest  comforts  of  life. 


78 


PROVERBS— CIIAP  XII. 


The  sentiment : bread  is  more  than  show ; the  substantial  com 
forts  of  life  are  worth  more  than  display  and  the  flattery  or  dis- 
tinction you  may  gain  thereby.  This  is  sensible. 

10.  A righteous  man  regardeth  the  life  of  his  beast : but 
the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked  are  cruel. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  original  word  translated  “ regardeth 
is  the  most  common  one  for  know.  The  righteous  man  knoweth 
the  soul  of  his  beast — probably  in  the  sense  of  acting  as  if  ho 
was  aware  of  the  sensibilities  of  his  ox,  his  horse,  or  his  sheep, 
as  if  he  knew  they  had  a sensitive  nature  that  would  suffer  under 
savage  treatment,  and  therefore  he  abstains  from  abusing  them. 
On  the  other  hand  the  tenderest  mercies  of  the  wicked  are  only 
cruel — a strong  way  of  saying  that  he  has  no  mercies,  no  com- 
passions for  the  suffering  of  man  or  beast. 

11.  He  that  tilleth  his  land  shall  be  satisfied  with  bread  : 
but  he  that  followeth  vain  persons  is  void  of  understanding. 

The  Hebrews  were  an  agricultural  people,  subsisting  from 
their  soil.  Their  dense  population  demanded  the  best  of  tillage. 
This  Solomon  aimed  to  encourage.  He  who,  instead  of  working 
his  land,  followed  after  idle  men,  out  of  business  and  doing  noth- 
ing to  purpose  for  the  ends  of  life,  would  show  himself  without 
understanding,  would  play  the  fool,  and  would  righteously  come 
short  of  bread.  Such  men  ought  to  go  breadless. 

12.  The  wicked  desireth  the  net  of  evil  men : but  the  root 
of  the  righteous  yieldeth  fruit. 

Critics  give  the  precise  sense  of  this  proverb  variously.  The 
word  rendered  u net  ” may  mean  “ fortress  ” as  in  the  English  margin. 
The  choice  lies,  therefore,  between  these  two  constructions;  (1), 
That  of  our  English  version ; Bad  men  covet  the  results  which 
the  wicked  gain  by  their  plots  and  schemes  of  wickedness,  but 
the  root  of  the  righteous  produces  for  them  substantial  fruit;  or, 
(2),  The  wicked  seek  the  protection  of  the  wicked,  their  own  class ; 
but  the  righteous  stand  firm  on  their  own  foundation.  Righteous- 
ness needs  not  the  help  of  bad  associates. The  former  con- 

struction seems  to  me  preferable,  especially  because  the  verb 
rendered  u desireth  ” means  precisely  to  covet,  applicable  therefore 
to  treasures,  the  fruit  of  robbery  or  fraud ; and  because  the  word 
“ root,”  applied  to  the  righteous,  looks  toward  productiveness  in 
the  line  of  provision  for  human  subsistence. 

13.  The  wicked  is  snared  by  the  transgression  of  his  lips  : 
but  the  just  shall  come  out  of  trouble. 

The  bad  words  of  the  wicked  man,  i.  e.,  slander  or  falsehood, 
become  a snare  to  catch  him  and  bring  him  to  his  just  punish* 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XII. 


79 


ment;  but  true  integrity  brings  a (man  safely  out  of  all  the 
troubles  in  which  unjust  suspicion  may  have  involved  him. 

14.  A man  shall  be  satisfied  with  good  by  the  fruit  of 
his  mouth  : and  the  recompense  of  a man’s  hands  shall  be 
rendered  unto  him. 

The  lips  that  speak  well  are  no  less  sure  of  reward  than  the 
hands  that  work  well.  To  show  this  the  former  is  put  over 
against  the  latter — lips  against  hands — with  perhaps  a shade  of 
preference  for  the  lips  as  the  more  fruitful  of  good. 

15.  The  way  of  a fool  is  right  in  his  own  eyes  : but  he 
that  hearkeneth  unto  counsel  is  wise. 

The  gist  of  the  proverb  is  that  the  way  of  the  fool  is  so  very 
right  in  his  own  eyes  that  he  will  not  hearken  to  counsel. 
Hearkening  to  good  counsel  is  the  characteristic,  not  of  the 
fool  but  of  the  wise.  Self-conceit  dooms  a man  to  folly  and  to 
its  consequent  mischiefs. 

16.  A fool’s  wrath  is  presently  known  : but  a prudent 
man  covereth  shame. 

A fool’s  wrath  is  known  at  once;  he  takes  no  pains  to  conceal 
it.  But  the  prudent,  the  wary  and  wise  man,  suppresses  and 
thus  conceals  what  it  would  disgrace  him  to  expose.  The  next 
best  thing  to  governing  one’s  temper  and  overcoming  the  tempta- 
tions to  wrath  is  to  govern  its  manifestations — to  smother  and 
keep  it  in. 

17.  He  that  speaketh  truth  sheweth  forth  righteousness  : 
but  a false  witness  deceit. 

Both  clauses  refer  properly  to  witnesses  giving  testimony.  He 
who  speaks  truth  sets  forth  the  right  of  the  case,  presents  the 
facts  as  they  are  and  promotes  the  ends  of  justice ; but  the  false 
witness  gives  a false  view  of  the  case  and  leads  to  its  being  mis- 
apprehended.  “ Speaking  truth”  is  here  [Heb.]  breathing  it 

forth)  as  if  it  came  naturally  with  and  like  his  breath. 

18.  There  is  that  speaketh  like  the  piercings  of  a sword  : 
but  the  tongue  of  the  wise  is  health. 

This  “speaking”  in  this  proverb,  quite  unlike  that  in  the  one 
next  preceding,  is  prating,  babbling,  pouring  out  words  incon- 
siderately, recklessly.  Such  words  pierce  like  daggers.  But  the 
tongue  of  the  wise  gives  healing ; their  words  lovingly  heal  the 
very  wounds  which  the  babbling  slanderer  inflicts.  There  is 
a precious  balm  in  such  words.  Wise  and  good  men  take  care 
not  merely  that  they  wound  no  one’s  feelings,  but  that  they  heal 
the  wounds  which  they  see  inflicted  by  others.  How  much  society 
owes  to  such  healing  words  I 


80 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XII. 


19.  The  lip  of  truth  shall  be  established  forever : but  a 
lying  tongue  is  but  for  a moment. 

He  who  speaks  truth  invariably  establishes  a reputation  for 
veracity  which  endures  a life-time.  The  lying  tongue  will  be  be- 
lieved but  for  a moment.  The  Hebrew  has  it,  u Only  while  I 
wink  only  for  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

20.  Deceit  is  in  the  heart  of  them  that  imagine  evil : but 
to  the  counsellors  of  peace  is  joy. 

“Deceit”  on  the  one  side  and  joy  on  the  other  do  not  seem 
properly  antithetic.  I take  the  gist  of  the  proverb  to  lie  in 
what  is  implied  in  the  first  clause  over  against  what  is  expressed 
in  the  second,  thus : Deceit  and  therefore  no  joy , but  a conscious 
sense  of  meanness  and  guilt,  are  in  the  heart  of  those  who  devise 
mischief;  but  joy  in  abundance  is  for  those  who  counsel  and  plan 
for  others’  peace,  i.  e .,  welfare. 

21.  There  shall  no  evil  happen  to  the  just : but  the  wicked 
shall  be  filled  with  mischief. 

In  an  age  when  present  retribution  was  almost  the  common 
law,  this  proverb  must  have  been  manifestly  true;  true  to  the  eye 
of  sense,  true  in  its  surface  view.  Taken  in  its  ultimate  bearings 
and  results,  its  truth  will  surely  become  manifest,  inasmuch  as  to 
the  just  “ afflictions  are  only  mercies  in  disguise,”  for  God  makes 
all  things  work  together  for  good  to  those  who  love  him. 

22.  Lying  lips  are  abomination  to  the  Lord  : but  they 
that  deal  truly  are  his  delight. 

Sentiment:  God  abhors  falsehood  and  delights  in  those  who 
deal  truly.  Acting  out  the  truth  is  perhaps  a little  stronger  than 
merely  speaking  it.  It  means  a life  of  honest  integrity  in  which 
both  the  words  and  the  life  are  true. 

23.  A prudent  man  concealeth  knowledge  : but  the  heart 
of  fools  proclaimeth  foolishness. 

“Prudent”  [Heb.]  means  discreet,  forethoughtful,  wary.  Such 
a man  considers  beforehand  what  it  is  best  to  say  and  what  not 
to  say,  and  has  the  wisdom  to  withhold  the  latter.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  heart  of  the  fool  prompts  him  to  proclaim  abroad  his 
folly.  He  must  be  saying  something  and  does  not  mind  what  he 
says. 

24.  The  hand  of  the  diligent  shall  bear  rule  : but  the 
slothful  shall  be  under  tribute. 

The  word  for  “slothful”  means  properly  deceitful;  here  in  the 
sense  of  disappointing  the  expectations  of  his  employers  by  his 
slackness,  his  utter  want  of  diligence  and  attention.  The  diligent 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XII. 


81 


in  business  are  advanced  to  authority;  the  slothful  and  unreliable 
gravitate  downward  in  society,  and,  like  the  weaker  nation,  come 
under  tribute  to  the  stronger. 

25.  Heaviness  in  the  heart  of  man  maketh  it  stoop:  but 
a good  word  maketh  it  glad. 

“Heaviness”  [Heb.]  is  rather  anxiety,  fear,  that  which  gives  a 
sense  of  heaviness.  Such  a sense  of  dread,  foreboding  evil,  de- 
presses the  heart,  bows  it  down;  but  a cheering  word  gladdens 
it.  This  “good  word”  may  be  either  good  tidings,  or  a word 
whose  comfort  is  in  its  kindly  tone  and  manner.  At  how  little 
cost  sometimes  may  great  burdens  of  grief  be  lifted  from  sad 
hearts ! 

26.  The  righteous  is  more  excellent  than  his  neighbor  : 
but  the  way  of  the  wicked  seduceth  them. 

The  sense  given  to  the  first  clause  in  our  English  version  can 
not  be  the  true  one,  for  who  can  know  but  his  neighbor  may  be 
as  good  a man  as  he,  or  even  better?  Moreover  this  sense  has  nc 
relation,  antithetic  or  otherwise,  to  the  second  clause  and  therefore 
can  not  be  the  true  one.  The  English  translators  seem  to  have 
entirely  misconceived  the  sense  of  the  verb  rendered  “more  ex- 
cellent.” All  the  modern  critics  agree  in  giving  the  verb  the 
sense  of  'pointing  out , showing  to  his  neighbor  the  way.  The  pro- 
verb thus  becomes  lucid  and  complete : The  righteous  man  shows 
his  neighbor  the  way  rightly;  but  the  way  pointed  out  by  the 
wicked  man  leads  him  astray.  The  righteous  man  is  a safe  guide : 
the  wicked  man  is  not,  but  will  lead  you  wrong. 

27.  The  slothful  man  roasteth  not  that  which  he  took  in 
hunting : but  the  substance  of  a diligent  man  is  precious. 

In  the  first  clause  critics  are  divided  between  the  meanings, 
roasting  game,  and  snaring  or  taking  it.  Neither  is  bad ; the  more 
expressive  is  that  of  the  English  version — a man  so  remiss  as  not 
to  roast  his  game  after  he  has  taken  it.  The  Hebrew,  moreover 
has  it  u his”  game,  which  can  more  properly  be  said  if  the  verb 
means  to  roast  than  if  it  means  to  snare}  for  if  he  fails  to  catch 

it  by  snaring  as  is  here  supposed,  how  comes  it  to  be  his  ? Over 

against  this,  to  the  diligent  man,  all  his  wealth  is  precious,  i.  e.y 
Srned  to  the  best  account. 

28.  In  the  way  of  righteousness  is  life ; and  in  the  path- 
way thereof  there  is  no  death. 

“Life”  in  its  highest  and  best  sense,  pure,  perfect  blessedness. 
No  death  is  in  that  traveler’s  path.  It  opens  to  a glorious  im- 
mortality. 


B2 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIII. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

1.  A wise  son  heareth  his  father’s  instruction  : but  a scorner 
heareth  not  rebuke. 

The  son  who  is  truly  wise  will  gladly  listen  to  the  counsels  of 
his  father.  The  scorner,  proud,  disdainful,  will  not  receive  “re 
buke  ’ designed  to  correct  his  faults. 

2.  A man  shall  eat  good  by  the  fruit  of  his  mouth : but 
the  soul  of  the  transgressors  shall  eat  violence. 

Good,  i.  e .,  truthful  words  bring  a man  good  fruit — results  of 
good:  but  the  perfidious,  untruthful,  will  experience  hurt.  The 
Heb.  word  for  “transgressors”  properly  means  “perfidious,”  men 
of  bad  faith,  of  lying  words. 

3.  He  that  keepeth  his  mouth  keepeth  his  life  : but  he 
that  openeth  wide  his  lips  shall  have  destruction. 

To  guard  the  mouth  is  to  guard  the  soul,  the  very  life;  but  he 
that  openeth  his  lips  wide,  to  let  come  what  may,  speaking  reck- 
lessly,  shall  have  destruction.  It  is  remarkable  that  so  many 
proverbs  set  forth  the  evils  of  a loose  and  lying  tongue,  and  that 
they  represent  these  evils  to  be  so  very  great.  The  Apostle 
James  takes  the  same  view : “ The  tongue  is  a fire,  a world  of 
iniquity;  it  setteth  on  fire  the  course  of  nature,  and  it  is  set  on 
fire  of  hell  ” (Jam.  3 : 6). 

4.  The  soul  of  the  sluggard  desireth,  and  hath  nothing : 
but  the  soul  of  the  diligent  shall  be  made  fat. 

The  sluggard  has  a stomach  and  must  get  hungry.  Having  pro- 
vided nothing,  he  must  go  hungry.  The  diligent  will  have  enough. 
Solomon  is  justly  severe  upon  sluggards,  but  strongly  commends 
industry. 

5.  A righteous  man  hateth  lying : but  a wicked  man  is 
loathsome,  and  cometh  to  shame. 

It  is  implied  here  that  the  righteous  man,  hating  falsehood  and 
sacredly  adhering  to  truth,  comes  to  honor  thereby;  while  the 
wicked  man,  given  to  lying,  comes  to  loathing  and  detestation. 

6.  Righteousness  keepeth  him  that  is  upright  in  the  way  : 
but  wickedness  overthroweth  the  sinner. 

Righteousness  keepeth  (guarding  and  protecting)  him  whose  life 
is  upright.  “Righteousness”  and  “wickedness”  are  both  per- 
sonified here  and  considered,  the  one  as  saving,  the  other  as  des- 
troying, each  her  respective  votaries. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIII. 


83 


7.  There  is  that  maketh  himself  rich,  yet  hath  nothing  : 
Mere  is  that  maketh  himself  poor,  yet  hath  great  riches. 

Of  course  “maketh”  is  here  in  the  sense  only  of  pretendeth) 
would  pass  himself  off  as  being.  The  one  would  be  thought  rich 
yet  hath  nothing;  the  other  would  be  thought  poor,  etc.  Under 
various  circumstances  and  motives  men  may  have  some  reasons 
in  their  own  view  for  either  course.  In  oriental  countries,  where 
property  is  often  unsafe,  men  might  be  tempted  to  conceal  their 
wealth  and  put  on  the  appearance  of  extreme  poverty.  The  other 
extreme,  the  pretense  of  great  wealth,  is  more  often  assumed  for 
the  sake  of  honor  and  distinction. 

8.  The  ransom  of  a man’s  life  are  his  riches : but  the  poor 
heareth  not  rebuke. 

Two  constructions  are  given  to  this  proverb ; we  have  to  choose 
between  them.  (1.)  The  rich  man  ransoms  his  life  by  his  riches; 
but  although  riches  are  so  manifestly  useful,  yet  the  poor  man 
[who  has  made  himself  such  by  his  indolence  or  folly]  will  not 
listen  to  the  rebuke  that  seeks  to  rouse  his  indolence  or  cure  his 
folly.  (2.)  As  between  riches  and  poverty  the  advantages  are  not 
all  on  one  side ; for  while  in  the  despotic  governments  of  the  east 
rich  men  are  often  dragged  before  magistrates  on  groundless 
charges  for  the  mere  purpose  of  exacting  money;  the  poor  man 
escapes  this  sort  of  prosecution  altogether,  there  being  in  his  case 
no  motive  for  it.  On  this  construction,  the  antithesis  proper  to  a 
proverb  is  preserved,  and  it  also  has  abundant  illustrations  in 
oriental  life  even  to  this  day.  For  both  reasons  this  construction 
is  better  than  the  other. 

9.  The  light  of  the  righteous  rejoiceth  : but  the  lamp  of 
the  wicked  shall  be  put  out. 

The  light  of  the  righteous  will  be  a joyful  thing;  but  the  lamp 
of  the  wicked  will  be  put  out.  The  pith  of  this  proverb  lies  in  the 
way  of  putting  the  first  half  of  it.  The  precise  antithesis  would 
require  this : The  lamp  of  the  righteous  burns  and  will  continue 
to  burn  brightly;  but  instead  of  this  the  writer  puts  the  statement 
in  the  more  general  form : The  light  [not  lamp]  of  the  righteous 
will  be  a perpetual  joy , tacitly  compared  to  a lamp  that  shines  all  the 
night  long  in  contrast  with  one  that  soon  goes  out. 

10.  Only  by  pride  cometh  contention  : but  with  the  well- 
advised  is  wisdom. 

The  force  of  the  word  “only”  should  be  thrown  upon  the  word 
“contention”  and  not  upon  the  word  “pride,”  the  sense  being,  not 
that  contention  comes  only  from  pride  and  from  no  other  cause, 
but  that  contention  only  and  nothing  better  or  other  than  conten- 
tion, can  be  expected  from  pride.  Pride  will  produce  it.  Pride  is 

the  chief  occasion  of  strife. The  proverb  means  that  wisdom 

will  be  with  those  who  take  good  counsel,  implying  that  there  is 


84 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIII. 


but  the  least  possible  wisdom  or  none  at  all  with  the  proud  who 
get  into  quarrels  to  gratify  their  pride. 

11.  Wealth  gotten  by  vanity  shall  be  diminished  : but  he 
that  gathereth  by  labor  shall  increase. 

The  serious,  not  to  say  fatal,  objection  to  the  construction  in  our 
English  version,  is  that  the  Hebrew  does  not  say  “ gotten/'  and 
the  word  is  too  vital  in  that  construction  to  be  omitted.  It  is  better, 
therefore,  to  read:  “Wealth  vanishes  more  than  a breath,"  as  a 
breath  does,  only  more  so;  but  he  who  accumulates  by  the  hand 
will  increase  it.  By  its  antithetic  force  the  proverb  implies  that 
the  wealth  which  vanishes  so  quickly  is  not  that  which  is  gathered 
by  the  hand,  or  which  is  cared  for  and  preserved  with  the  hand. 
The  common  law,  the  general  fact,  is  that  all  other  wealth  except 
that  in  which  the  hand  bears  the  prominent  agency,  both  in  pro- 
curing and  preserving  it,  soon  flees  away,  “ quicker  than  a breath," 
says  the  strong  figure  of  the  proverb. 

12.  Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick:  but  when  the 
desire  cometh,  it  is  a tree  of  life. 

The  long  deferred  realization  of  one’s  hope  sickens  the  heart; 
it  sinks  discouraged  as  with  a sense  of  sickness : but  the  coming  of 
the  thing  desired  is  a “ tree  of  life,"  a permanent  and  rich  feast  ot 
good.  See  the  sense  of  the  phrase,  “tree  of  life"  (chap.  3:  18). 

13.  Whoso  despiseth  the  word  shall  be  destroyed:  but 
he  that  feareth  the  commandment  shall  be  rewarded. 

The  “word"  and  the  “commandment"  are  here  the  revealed 
law  of  God.  The  precise  sense  of  the  first  clause  I take  to  be, 
He  who  despiseth  God’s  word  shall  be  held  responsible — held  as 
with  a cord  [the  sense  of  the  Hebrew]  from  which  there  can  be 
no  escape ; but  he  who  reverently  fears  and  obeys  it  shall  be  rec- 
ompensed. 

14.  The  law  of  the  wise  is  a fountain  of  life,  to  depart 
from  the  snares  of  death. 

In  this  proverb  the  connection  between  the  first  part  and  the 
last  is  that  the  law  of  the  wise  both  contemplates  and  secures  the 
result  of  departing  from  fatal  snares.  It  both  aims  to  save  men 
and  does  save  them  from  ruin. 

15.  Good  understanding  giveth  favor:  but  the  way  of 
transgressors  is  hard. 

Good  common  sense,  sound  discretion,  wins  favor.  The  special 
type  of  “transgression"  indicated  by  the  Hebrew  word  is  perfidy. 
The  way  of  the  perfidious  is  hard,  can  not  win  favor,  but  will,  on 

the  contrary,  be  detested. The  word  for  “hard”  is  thought  by 

some  to  mean  like  a sweeping  torrent ; but  other  good  critics  prefei 
the  sense,  stony,  rough. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIII. 


85 


16.  Every  prudent  man  dealeth  with  knowledge:  but  a 
*ool  layeth  open  his  folly. 

“Dealeth  with,”  not  in  the  sense  of  having  business  with,  but 
of  acting,  managing  his  affairs  wisely,  with  the  requisite  knowl- 
edge of  whatever  bears  upon  the  case.  Over  against  this,  the 
fool  is  forever  exposing  his  folly,  bringing  it  out  indiscreetly  every- 
where. 

17.  A wicked  messenger  falleth  into  mischief:  but  a 
faithful  ambassador  is  health. 

A messenger  may  be  bad  [“wicked”]  either  because  he  is 
slow,  lazy,  or  because  he  is  unreliable,  not  trustworthy.  Con- 
trasted here  with  the  faithful  one,  the  latter  sense  must  be  pre- 
ferred. He  falls  into  mischief,  i.  e.,  trouble,  because  his  em- 
ployer, indignant  at  his  perfidy,  makes  him  smart  for  it.  The  com- 
fort of  a faithful  ambassador  is  like  that  of  a healing  medicine, 
giving  health  in  place  of  sickness. 

18.  Poverty  and  shame  shall  be  to  him  that  refuseth  inr 
struction  : but  he  that  regardeth  reproof  shall  be  honored. 

“Reproof”  has  the  broad  sense  of  instruction  and  good  counsel, 
designed  to  make  one  better.  He  who  faithfully  observes  such 
counsels  will  come  to  honor.  His  character  and  life  will  be  im- 
proved, his  faults  corrected,  and  then  all  will  esteem  and  honor 
him.  The  opposite  course  will  end  not  in  shame  only,  but  in 
poverty — a consideration  adapted  to  take  hold  of  the  heart. 

19.  The  desire  accomplished  is  sweet  to  the  soul : but  ^ is 
abomination  to  fools  to  depart  from  evil. 

The  two  parts  of  this  proverb  are  each  obviously  true ; but  why 
are  they  brought  into  such  juxtaposition  ? The  gist  of  the  proverb 

lies  in  what  is  implied  [not  expressed]  in  the  latter  clause. 

All  men,  whether  fools  or  wise,  appreciate  and  long  for  the  joy 
of  gratified  desire.  But  fools  who  abhor  departing  from  evil  can 
not  get  it.  Their  life  is  a perpetual  but  fruitless  endeavor  to  over- 
come and  countervail  the  laws  that  link  together  sin  and  misery, 
folly  and  ruin.  Abhorring  to  depart  from  evil,  they  must  forever 
miss  the  joy  of  gratified  desire.  This  I take  to  be  the  pith  of  the 
proverb. 

20.  He  that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise : but 
a companion  of  fools  shall  be  destroyed. 

The  Hebrew  words  of  the  last  clause  seem  to  mean,  He  who 
associates  heartily  with  fools,  feeding  upon  their  words,  will,  like 
them,  become  wicked  and  be  ruined.  The  proverb  testifies  to  the 
power  of  the  social  law — the  potent  influence  of  associates— the 
good  for  good,  and  the  evil  for  evil,  and  its  consequent  ruin. 


86 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIII. 


21.  Evil  pursueth  sinners  : but  to  the  righteous  good 
shall  be  repaid. 

The  force  of  this  proverb  lies  very  much  in  the  bold  personi- 
fication which  attributes  life  and  the  spirit  of  a righteous  retri 
bution  to  both  objective  good  and  evil,  i.  e .,  to  prosperity  and 
adversity.  Evil  chaseth  down  sinners,  pursues  them  closely,  and 
will  overtake  them  surely;  but  good  will  requite  the  righteous. 
This  is  only  another  way  of  saying  that  God  will  bring  evil  upon 
sinners  and  good  to  the  obedient,  implying  perhaps  that  he  has 
wrought  more  or  less  of  essential  retribution  into  the  very  nature 
of  things  and  the  laws  of  society. 

22.  A good  man  leaveth  an  inheritance  to  his  children’s 
children : and  the  wealth  of  the  sinner  is  laid  up  for  the 
just. 

In  those  days  it  was  one  of  the  manifestations  of  present  retri- 
bution that  good  men  laid  up  their  wealth  for  even  their  grand- 
children; but  the  sinner’s  wealth  passed  out  of  his  family  into 
the  hands  of  the  just.  To  some  extent  the  same  thing  happens 
in  all  ages ; the  great  estates  of  the  wicked  are  soon  squandered, 
and  come  into  the  hands  of  better  men. 

23.  Much  food  is  in  the  tillage  of  the  poor : but  there  is 
that  is  destroyed  for  want  of  judgment. 

In  the  last  clause,  the  original  seems  to  signify,  not  the  mere 
lack  of  judgment,  but  positive  injustice — the  opposite  of  “judg- 
ment” when  taken  in  the  sense  of  justice.  Fraud  or  violence,  ab- 
solute injustice,  ruins  even  rich  men.  It  is  therefore  infinitely 
better  to  be  poor,  upright,  and  get  abundance -of  bread  by  honest 
though  hard  labor,  than  to  try  to  get  rich  by  injustice,  and  so 
bring  on  yourself  destruction. 

24.  He  that  spareth  his  rod  hateth  his  son : but  he  that 
loveth  him  chasteneth  him  betimes. 

“Hateth  his  son,”  i.  e .,  acts  as  if  he  hated  him,  suffering  the 
greatest  of  evils  to  be  fastened  upon  him,  as  if  he  were  reck- 
less of  his  welfare.  This  is  said  of  him  who  withholds  the  proper 
means  of  correcting  his  son’s  faults.  The  term  “rod”  primarily 
applies  to  corporeal  chastisement,  but  legitimately  covers  all  ju- 
dicious means  for  the  same  result.  The  father  who  truly  loves 
his  son  seeks  to  correct  his  faults  betimes,  i.  e.}  early. 

25.  The  righteous  eateth  to  the  satisfying  of  his  soul : but 
the  belly  of  the  wicked  shall  want. 

In  that  age  preeminently,  but  in  all  ages  as  the  common  law, 
the  most  abject  poverty  and  suffering  are  the  fruit  of  sin.  The 
wicked,  through  their  folly,  their  indolence,  their  criminal  self- 
indulgence,  or  their  outrages  upon  others’  rights,  involve  them- 
selves in  pinching  want. 


PROVERBS  -CHAP.  XIV 


87 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

1.  Every  wise  woman  buildetli  her  house:  but  the 
foolish  plucketh  it  down  with  her  hands. 

“House”  is  here  rather  in  the  sense  of  estate,  the  house  con- 
sidered as  property,  well  ordered,  and  affording  the  conveniences 
and  comforts  of  a home.  The  “woman”  [wife]  is  thought  of, 
not  as  a carpenter,  but  as  a manager  of  her  domestic  concerns. 
Managing  them  prudently,  she  increases  the  comforts  of  the 
household,  lessens  the  outgoes,  builds  up  the  estate.  The  foolish 
woman,  managing  badly,  reverses  this  process,  and  like  a Vandal, 
tears  down  the  household  with  her  hands.  Solomon  must  have 
the  credit  of  being  a sagacious  observer  of  the  ways  of  house- 
wives in  the  matter  of  economy  and  thrift. 

2.  He  that  walketh  in  his  uprightness  feareth  the  Lord  : 
but  he  that  is  perverse  in  his  ways  despiseth  him. 

True  probity  and  true  piety  will  always  be  found  together,  for 
probity  would  insure  piety,  and  piety  would  develop  probity. 
The  man  of  upright  life  will  be  a fearer  of  the  Lord  on  the 
principle  that  “if  any  man  will  do  his  [God’s]  will,  he  shall 
know  of  the  doctrine,”  etc.,  and  vice  versa , “if  a man’s  deeds  are 
evil,  he  will  hate  the  light  [respecting  God]  and  will  not  come 

to  it.” So,  over  against  this,  whoever  is  perverse  in  his  moral 

ways  of  life  must  be  a despiser  of  God,  else  he  could  not  live  so. 
And  moreover,  such  a life  begets  such  a spirit  toward  God. 

3.  In  the  mouth  of  the  foolish  is  a rod  of  pride  : but 
the  lips  of  the  wise  shall  preserve  them. 

Foolish  words  become  a rod  to  scourge  the  pride  of  fools; 
while  on  the  other  hand,  the  lips  of  wise  men  inure  to  their 
protection.  Both  clauses  may  best  refer  to  the  reacting  influence 
of  folly  and  of  wisdom  respectively — the  former  to  punish;  the 
latter,  to  protect. 

4.  Where  no  oxen  are , the  crib  is  clean : but  much 
increase  is  by  the  strength  of  the  ox. 

“Clean,”  in  the  sense  of  empty.  Field-culture  must  be  on  a 
very  small  scale  only,  and  with  very  meager  returns,  unless  you 
have  the  strength  of  oxen. 

5.  A faithful  witness  will  not  lie : but  a false  witness 
will  utter  lies. 

Men  called  to  give  testimony  in  courts  of  justice  will  act  out 
their  own  character.  The  man  of  essential  fidelity  and  veracity 
will  not  lie  there ; but  the  faithless  man  will  pour  out  lies  as  ho 


88 


PROVERBS— CIIAP.  XIV. 


does  his  breath.  This  comparison  of  lying  to  breathing  is  in  the 
Hebrew  verb,  denoting  that  he  has  no  sense  of  restraint  or  com- 
punction to  hold  him  to  the  truth.  It  comes  more  easy  and 
natural  to  him  to  lie  than  not. 

6.  A scorner  seeketh  wisdom,  and  findeth  it  not : but 
knowledge  is  easy  unto  him  that  understandeth. 

The  scorner  is,  of  course,  puffed  with  self-conceit  and  pride,  with  no 
proper  respect  for  either  truth  or  those  who  have  it  and  could  teacli 
him  what  it  is.  Such  a man  seeks  truth  to  no  purpose.  In  the 
expressive  style  of  the  Hebrew,  “He  seeketh  truth,  and  there  is 
none”  [ i . e .,  for  him];  truth  is  never  found  and  taken  possession 
of  by  such  seeking.  Lord  Bacon  (as  quoted  by  Dr.  Muenscher) 
says : “ He  that  comes  to  seek  after  knowledge  with  a mind  dis- 
posed to  scorn  and  censure  will  be  sure  to  find  matter  enough  for 
his  humor,  but  none  for  his  instruction.”  Remarkably  the  scorner 
is  here  put  over  against  the  man  of  understanding,  as  if  to  imply 
that  the  former  naturally  lacks  that  love  of  truth  and  that  sympa- 
thetic attraction  toward  it  which  intuitively  sees  and  then  seizes 
upon  it.  To  a man  who  has  these  last-named  qualities  knowledge 

comes  naturally  and  easily. This  doctrine  assumes  that  good 

moral  qualities  are  vital  to  the  acquisition  of  truly  valuable 
knowledge. 

7.  Go  from  the  presence  of  a foolish  man,  when  thou 
perceives!  not  in  him  the  lips  of  knowledge. 

Some  critics  read  the  last  clause — “For  thou  wilt  not  find  lips 
of  knowledge  in  him.”  But  the  sense  given  in  our  English  version 
seems  to  me  more  close  to  the  original,  which  reads  literally : 
“And  thou  hast  not  discerned  lips  of  knowledge.”  When,  after  a 
reasonable  opportunity  for  knowing  a man,  you  discern  not  the 
lips  of  knowledge,  retire  from  his  presence;  withdraw  from  his 
society ; desist  from  all  efforts  either  to  get  wisdom  from  him  or  to 
impart  wisdom  to  him. 

8.  The  wisdom  of  the  prudent  is  to  understand  his  way : 
but  the  folly  of  fools  is  deceit. 

The  wisdom  of  the  discerning  man  turns  to  the  practical  use  of 
understanding  rightly  his  life-path  and  life-duty ; but  the  folly  of 

fools  misguides  them — leads  them  into  error  and  ruin. Some 

construe  the  latter  clause — applies  to  the  deceiving  of  others:  but 
the  antithesis  is  better  as  given  above : wisdom  helps  a man  to  live 
right,  while  folly  leads  him  to  live  fatally  wrong. 

9.  Fools  make  a mock  at  sin:  but  among  the  righteous 
there  is  favor. 

There  are  several  constructions  of  this  proverb  worthy  of  being 
named  and  considered. (1.)  Sin  mocks  fools  in  the  sense  of  dis- 

appointing their  expectations — its  pleasures  being  so  much  mor« 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


89 


meager  and  its  penalties  being  so  much  more  terrible  than  they 

had  thought. (2.)  The  sin-offering  mocks  fools,  availing  them 

nothing  because  of  their  impenitence  and  folly,  when  they  had 

hoped  to  get  immunity  from  such  offerings  [Stuart]. (3.)  Fools 

make  light  of  sin,  accounting  it  a trifling  matter.  This  is  the  sense 

of  our  received  version. It  is  slightly  in  favor  of  either  the  first 

or  the  second  construction  that  the  noun  “ sin  ” and  the  verb 
“mock”  agree  in  number,  being  singular,  while  the  word  for 
“fools”  is  plural.  The  second  is  also  favored  by  the  usual  sense 
of  the  last  word  of  the  verse  “favor,”  which  very  commonly  denotes 
the  acceptance  of  a true  offering  before  God.  It  lies  against  both 
these  constructions  that  the  word  “ mocks,”  implying  derisiveness, 
does  not  truly  represent  the  feeling  of  God,  nor  of  sin  or  of  a 
sin-offering  when  personified  and  thus  made  to  represent  the  heart 
of  God.  This  seems  to  me  the  main  objection  to  those  construc- 
tions. “Mocking”  truthfully  represents  the  sinner’s  feeling,  but 
not  God’s.  On  this  ground  I prefer  the  last-named  construc- 
tion.  This  word  for  “sin”  has  two  senses;  either  guilt,  blame- 

worthiness, or  the  trespass-offerings  of  the  Mosaic  law:  here,  I 
think,  the  former.  Fools  scoff  at  and  scornfully  repel  the  idea  of 
personal  guilt;  nor  do  they  care  much  if  the  fact  of  wrong-doing 

is  fastened  upon  them. The  antithesis  lies  (as  often)  between 

what  is  assumed  in  the  first  clause  and  asserted  in  the  second, 
thus : Fools  mock  at  sin  and  therefore  incur  God’s  wrath  [not  his 
favor]  ; but  the  righteous  have  his  favor,  and  what  is  thus  true  of 
God’s  favor  is  true  also  of  the  esteem  of  all  right  thinking  moral 
agents  in  the  universe. 

10.  The  heart  knoweth  his  own  bitterness  ; and  a stranger 
doth  not  intermeddle  with  his  joy. 

Each  individual  heart  knows  its  own  sorrows  and  its  own  joys 
as  no  other  merely  human  mind  can  know  them.  In  the  confi- 
dence and  unrestrained  communion  of  friendship  we  may  approxi- 
mate to  a knowledge  of  each  other’s  joys  and  sorrows : it  is  but 
an  approximation.  Only  in  Jesus  is  there  an  exception  to  this 
otherwise  universal  law,  for  his  infinite  mind  knows  perfectly  every 
sorrow  and  every  joy  of  our  being,  and  his  perfect  sympathies 
[almost]  make  our  joys  and  sorrows  his  own ! 0 might  we  only 

believe  this  and  find  therein  all  the  ministries  of  consolation  and 
strength  which  it  has  to  give ! 

11.  The  house  of  the  wicked  shall  be  overthrown ; but 
the  tabernacle  of  the  upright  shall  flourish. 

Two  beautiful  points  are  prominent  in  this  proverb,  viz.  : (1) 
the  antithesis  between  “house”  and  “tent;”*  the  house  of  the 
wicked,  built  as  he  supposes  of  most  substantial  material,  wood, 
brick,  or  stone,  shall  yet  be  razed  to  the  ground ; while  the  tent  of 
the  upright,  fragile  in  itself,  put  up  so  as  to  be  easily  taken  down, 
shall  yet  stand,  and  long  outlast  the  house  of  the  wicked. (2.) 


90 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


This  tent  is  said  to  “ flourish/’  like  a plant,  shrub,  or  tree,  well' 
rooted,  having  a life-power  of  its  own,  and  therefore  blooming  in 
beauty  as  well  as  living  with  its  own  life  and  only  waxing  the 
stronger  for  tfle  coming  and  going  of  the  seasons  and  for  all  the 
storms  that  beat  upon  it.  All  this  is  involved  in  the  Hebrew  verb 
here  rendered  u flourish.” 

12.  There  is  a way  which  seemeth  right  unto  a man.  but 
the  end  thereof  are  the  ways  of  death. 

The  obvious  sense  of  this  proverb  is  no  doubt  the  true  one, 
viz.:  that  a way  of  living  (in  the  moral  sense  of  life)  may  seem 
right  to  a man,  and  yet  be  wrong  and  end  in  death.  Men  may 
be  deceived  by  their  associates,  or  they  may  deceive  themselves, 
and  so  may  assume  what  is  utterly  wrong  to  be,  at  least  in  their 
case,  right.  Hence  the  somewhat  popular  doctrine  that  it  mat- 
ters not  what  a man  believes  provided  he  be  sincere,  is  a fatal 
mistake,  for  a man  may  think  himself  very  sincere  in  accepting 
and  holding  pernicious  error  and  in  pursuing  a fatally  wrong 
course  of  life.  Such  sincere  but  ruinous  errors  may  be  held  by 
the  human  mind,  and  the  corresponding  course  of  life  may  be 
pursued,  ending  in  death.  For  example,  Saul  of  Tarsus  for  a 
long  time  u verily  thought  he  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary 
to  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.”  Would  his  verily  thinking 
so  have  saved  him  from  damnation?  Did  that  thinking  so  make 
it  right  for  him  to  persecute  Jesus?  Could  he  have  thought  so 
at  all  if  his  heart  had  been  thoroughly  honest  and  right  before 

God  ? Is  there  any  help  against  this  liability  to  fatal  mistake  ? 

Most  certainly.  “If  any  man  will  do  the  will  of  God,  he  may 
know”  with  certainty  all  the  truth  he  needs  to  know  for  his 
salvation.  It  is  only  when  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light 
that  they  embrace  fatal  error.  When  men  love  sin  exceedingly 
and  labor  hard  to  make  themselves  think  it  right  for  them  in 
their  circumstances,  they  invite  delusion  into  their  souls,  and 
delusion  is  almost  certain  to  come  to  their  (transient)  relief,  but 

to  their  swift  and  certain  destruction. This  proverb,  affirming 

a most  momentous  truth,  appears  again,  16:  25,  also  one  part  of 
it,  12:  15. 

13.  Even  in  laughter  the  heart  is  sorrowful;  and  the 
end  of  that  mirth  is  heaviness. 

Two  facts  of  human  experience  are  involved  here : (1)  That 
laughter  is  sometimes  a thin  disguise  to  conceal  a sad  heart;  (2) 
That  the  reaction  which  follows  vain  mirth  is  often  the  most 
painful  heaviness.  This  passion  for  laughter,  which  assumes  it 
to  be  very  much  the  chief  good  of  life,  is  a miserable  folly. 

14.  The  backslider  in  heart  shall  be  filled  with  his  own 
ways : and  a good  man  shall  be  satisfied  from  himself. 

The  backslider  in  heart,  apostate  from  God,  shall  be  sated 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


91 


with  his  own  ways,  shall  have  enough  and  more  than  enough 
of  the  bitter  fruits  of  his  apostacy.  On  the  contrary,  the  good 
man  will  find  ample  sources  of  joy  in  himself.  Joy  springs  up 

spontaneously  out  of  his  benevolent  heart. The  turn  of  the 

thought  which  is  the  gist  of  the  proverb  lies  in  the  play  upon  the 
sense  of  the  word  rendered  “ filled,”  which  is  obviously  to  be 
supplied  in  the  last  clause.  The  backslider  shall  be  filled  with 
the  sorrow  that  comes  from  his  backsliding:  the  good  man  shall 
be  filled  with  the  joy  of  his  steadfast  goodness. Another  con- 

struction is  approved  by  Stuart,  who  supplies,  in  the  last  clause, 
not  the  verb  filled,  but  some  other,  e.  g .,  removes;  reading  the 
last  clause — “But  the  good  man  removes  away  from  him,”  the 
backslider.  But  this  (without  cause)  sacrifices  all  corresponding 
relation  between  the  two  clauses,  and  improperly  supplies  in  the 
last  clause,  not  the  verb  expressed  in  the  first,  but  another  taken 
up  capriciously. 

15.  The  simple  believeth  every  word : but  the  prudent 
man  looketh  well  to  his  going. 

The  “simple”  in  the  sense  of  Solomon  are  the  credulous  and 
susceptible  who  are  open  to  every  impression,  especially  if  evil, 
and  who  have  no  forethoughtful  wariness  in  choosing  their  path 
of  life.  The  point  of  the  proverb  is  that  while  the  prudent  man 
thinks  before  he  acts,  the  simple  believes  whatever  is  said  to  him 
and  thinks  not. 

16.  A wise  man  feareth,  and  departeth  from  evil : but 
the  fool  rageth  and  is  confident. 

“ Rageth”  is  not  the  best  word  here  to  give  the  sense  of  the  orig- 
inal or  to  fit  the  other  part  of  the  description,  since  it  suggests  the 
passion  of  anger,  whereas  the  true  sense  is  that  of  pride — an 
insolent  and  reckless  bearing,  corresponding  to  the  last  word, 
self-confident — having  no  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes.  The  wise 
man  fears  to  sin ; has  a reverential  fear  of  God,  and  hence  departs 
.from  evil.  The  fool  is  fearless,  dashing,  reckless,  breaking  over 
all  restraint. 

17.  He  that  is  soon  angry  dealeth  foolishly : and  a man 
of  wicked  devices  is  hated. 

The  man  of  quick,  hasty  passions  acts  foolishly,  meaning  either 
that  he  is  foolish  in  the  very  fact  of  giving  way  to  this  sudden 
excitement,  or  that  he  will  be  sure,  under  his  uncontrolled 
passion,  to  do  foolish  things,  such  as  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of — 

the  latter  being  probably  the  leading  thought. On  the  other 

hand,  the  man  who  conceals  his  anger,  but  craftily  plots  mischief, 
will  be  hated.  He  who  is  soon  angry  and  soon  over  it  may  have 
many  amiable  traits  of  character,  and  his  weakness  of  passion 
may  rather  evoke  your  pity  than  your  abhorrence.  But  all  must 
hate  the  man  of  wicked  devices.  If  you  kn  vw  that  he  is  equal 


92 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


to  the  protracted  guilt  of  plotting  mischief  and  holding  his  heart 
upon  it  day  after  day  with  no  compunctions,  you  are  afraid  of 
him;  you  dare  not  trust  him;  you  set  him  down  as  a radically 
bad  man,  an  enemy  of  his  race. 

18.  The  simple  inherit  folly : but  the  prudent  are  crowned 
with  knowledge. 

For  the  sense  of  the  word  “simple,”  see  v.  15.  Such  men  have 
only  folly  and  its  consequent  disgrace  as  their  inheritance — the 
reward  of  their  careless,  unthinking  spirit  and  of  their  reckless 
life.  But  the  prudent,  who  sagaciously  consider  both  truth  and 
duty,  embrace  true  knowledge — become  masters  of  it,  and  wear  it 
as  their  crown  of  honor.  The  possession  of  knowledge  in  the  one 
case  stands  over  against  the  possession  of  ignorance  and  folly  in 
the  other;  and  the  consequent  honor  in  the  former  case  makes  a 
second  antithesis  with  the  implied  disgrace  in  the  latter.  The 
word  “crown”  implies  the  idea  of  honor. 

19.  The  evil  bow  before  the  good;  and  the  wicked  at 
the  gates  of  the  righteous. 

Righteous  and  good  men  gain  possession  of  honor,  competence, 
and  therefore  naturally  of  power,  so  that  before  them  the  wicked 
bow  in  deference  and  homage,  perhaps  in  supplication  for  favors. 
The  case  of  the  good  Joseph  and  his  evil-minded  and  envious 
brethren  is  in  point,  and  perhaps  was  in  the  mind  of  the  writer. 

20.  The  poor  is  hated  even  of  his  own  neighbor:  but  the 
rich  hath  many  friends. 

Some  of  the  proverbs  aim  to  state  facts  of  human  life,  to  be 
thought  of  as  facts  pregnant  with  various  instruction,  but  not  as 
examples  worthy  of  imitation.  “Hate”  is  quite  too  strong  a word 
for  this  connection  if  we  are  to  conceive  of  the  writer  as  designedly 
suggesting  that  we  ought  to  do  the  same.  Indeed  it  is  a little  too 
strong  to  represent  the  average  sentiments  of  men  in  our  age  of 
the  world.  It  must  be  conceded  that  usually  the  rich  are  courted 
— the  poor  neglected;  the  rich  held  in  high  honor — the  poor  in 
relatively  low  esteem.  From  the  rich,  every  man  has  more  or  less 
hope  of  some  sort  of  favor,  but  from  the  poor  he  expects  no  such 
good.  So  much  may  be  said  of  human  life  as  we  see  it.  But  in 
the  last  clause,  the  marginal  reading,  “many  love  the  rich,”  is 
the  precise  rendering  of  the  Hebrew,  so  that  hate  and  love  are  put 
in  direct  antithesis.  Even  his  own  neighbors  hate  the  poor  man, 
while  many  love  the  rich.  I suggest  that  the  proverb  should  be 
interpreted  in  the  light  of  the  peculiar  features  of  those  early 
ages  of  time,  when  poverty  was  associated  with  not  only  folly, 
but  crime,  and  prosperity  in  the  form  of  wealth  was  regarded  as 
the  special  reward  of  the  upright,  virtuous  man.  These  sentiments 
stand  out  prominently  in  various  proverbs,  as  also  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament somewhat  generally. It  may  be  noted  that  the  next 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


93 


proverb  seems  to  have  been  designed  to  guard  against  the  abuse 
of  this. 

21.  He  that  despiseth  his  neighbor  sinneth : but  he  that 
hath  mercy  on  the  poor,  happy  is  he. 

Even  he  who  has  made  himself  poor  by  folly  or  crime  should  not 
be  despised  and  treated  contemptuously,  much  less  he  who  has  be- 
come poor  by  misfortune.  Contempt  toward  a neighbor  is  always 
sinful,  and  all  men,  live  where  they  may,  are  neighbors  in  the  ap- 
plication of  this  principle.  Tn  this  proverb,  “despising”  stands 
over  against  “having mercy,”  and  therefore  implies  an  unforgiving, 

unfeeling,  hard  spirit. The  last  clause  might  well  be  read, 

“Blessed  is  he  who  hath  mercy  on  the  poor!  ” 

22.  Do  they  not  err  that  devise  evil?  but  mercy  and 
truth  shall  be  to  them  that  devise  good. 

The  original  word  for  “devise”  includes  both  plotting  and  la- 
boring for  an  end.  He  who  in  this  sense  deviseth  mischief  will 
miss  his  end,  to  his  ruin ; while  mercy  and  truth  will  be  the  re- 
ward of  those  who  devise  good.  The ‘intent  of  the  heart  determines 
the  moral  character  of  the  act,  and  therefore  the  sort  of  retribution 
that  righteously  follows. 

23.  In  all  labor  there  is  profit;  but  the  talk  of  the  lips 
tendeth  only  to  penury. 

All  well-directed  labor  naturally  brings  some  useful  returns, 
but  lip- words  are  only  toward  want.  Mere  talk,  words  having  no 
worthy  aim,  work  out  only  poverty.  Probably  the  writer  meant 
that  those  who  talk  when  they  should  work  will  miss  the  laborer’s 
harvest. 

24.  The  crown  of  the  wise  is  their  riches : but  the  fool- 
ishness of  fools  is  folly. 

This  proverb  is  difficult  of  interpretation,  especially  because  the 
last  clause  reads  literally,  “The  folly  of  fools  is  folly,”  the  word 
for  “folly”  being  repeated.  Some  critics  (e.  g.,  Gesenius,  Stuart), 
assume  a play  upon  two  supposed  senses  of  the  word  for  folly, 
thus : The  precedence  [promotion]  of  fools  tends  only  to  greater 
folly,  or  only  serves  to  manifest  their  folly  the  more.  This  is  op- 
posed to  the  influence  of  wealth  upon  the  wise  which  only  serves 
to  adorn  their  life,  and,  like  a crown,  make  their  wisdom  the  more 

conspicuous. Others  give  the  proverb  this  sense:  The  riches 

they  acquire  add  new  honors  to  the  wise,  inasmuch  as  they  still 
deport  themselves  wisely  and  worthily;  but  the  folly  of  fools  will 
still  be  folly  though  they  acquire  never  so  much  wealth.  Wealth 
will  make  them  no  wiser,  and  hence  will  confer  upon  them  no 

honor.  They  will  only  play  the  fool  the  more  conspicuously. * 

I nrefer  the  latter  construction. 


94 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


25.  A true  witness  delivereth  souls:  but  a deceitful  wit- 
ness speaketh  lies. 

“Delivereth  souls,”  i.  e.,  of  those  whose  lives  are  imperiled 
by  false  accusation  before  the  civil  tribunals.  On  the  contrary, 
a deceitful  witness  pours  out  lies,  and  consequently,  far  from  de- 
livering the  lives  of  the  innocent,  augments  their  peril.  This  im 
plied  antithesis  is  due  to  the  genius  of  the  proverb. 

26.  In  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  strong  confidence:  and 
his  children  shall  have  a place  of  refuge. 

The  pith  of  the  first  clause  is  in  its  apparent  paradox;  fear  in 
the  sense  of  anxious  apprehension  being  the  opposite  of  confidence 
when  taken  in  its  proper  sense — the  repose  of  trust.  But  the  fear 
of  the  Lord  is  true  piety,  and  this  involves  such  a committal  of 
ourselves  and  of  all  our  interests  to  God  as  gives  us  strong  con- 
fidence. So  fearing  him,  we  have  the  utmost  reason  to  confide  in 
his  wisdom  and  love.  He  who,  in  this  blessed  and  scriptural 

sense,  fears  God  will  have  nothing  else  to  fear. In  the  last 

clause  his  children  may  grammatically  be  either  the  children  of 
him  who  thus  fears  God,  or  the  children  of  God  himself — the  sense 
in  the  former  case  being  that ' the  blessings  of  piety  descend  to 
one’s  children;  in  the  latter,  that  naturally  all  the  true  children 
of  God  must  have  a refuge  in  their  great  Father.  The  latter  sense 
is  universally  true;  the  former,  only  generally. 

27.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  a fountain  of  life,  to  depart 
from  the  snares  of  death. 

Compare  13:  14,  where  the  same  thing  is  said  of  “the  law  of 
the  wise”  as  is  said  here  of  “the  fear  of  the  Lord,”  and  said  in 
the  same  sense. 

28.  In  the  multitude  of  people  is  the  king’s  honor : but 
in  the  want  of  people  is  the  destruction  of  the  prince. 

To  have  a populous  realm  and  numerous  subjects  is  an  honor 
to  a king;  and,  as  is  implied  here,  a source  of  strength  to  his 
kingdom;  while  the  lack  of  people  works  his  destruction.  Other 
things  being  equal,  the  power  of  a kingdom  will  be  as  the  num- 
ber of  its  subjects.  Hence  the  proverb  suggests  that  it  must  be 
a wise  policy  for  every  king  to  encourage  the  increase  of  popula- 
tion within  his  realm.  All  history  shows  that  the  natural  means 
for  this  purpose  are  industry  and  virtue ; the  comforts  of  life ; the 
protection  of  all  the  natural  rights  of  mankind.  Let  rulers  re- 
member that  it  is  their  honor  and  safety  to  shape  their  ruling  to 
promote  these  ends. 

29.  He  that  is  slow  to  wrath  is  of  great  understanding: 
but  he  that  is  hasty  of  spirit  exaltcth  folly. 


PROVERBS -CRAP.  XIV. 


95 


The  two  personages  described  here  are  doubly  contrasted.  The 
one  is  slow  to  anger ; the  other  quick  and  hasty ; the  former  has 
great  wisdom  and  evinces  it  prominently  by  his  remarkable  self- 
control  ; the  latter  not  only  has  great  folly  but  sets  it  up  on  high 
before  all  observers.  Every  one  sees  and  feels  how  foolish  it  is 
to  be  quick  tempered  and  to  let  one’s  passions  flash  suddenly  into 
flame  with  no  self-control. 

30.  A sound  heart  is  the  life  of  the  flesh  : but  envy  the  rot- 
tenness of  the  bones. 

The  doctrine  of  this  proverb  is  the  physiological  effect  of  the 
mind  upon  the  body.  A calm,  placid  heart  [better  than  “ sound”] 
gives  life  to  the  flesh  in  the  sense  of  augmenting  the  vital  forces 
and  conducing  to  health  and  therefore  to  life ; while,  on  the  other 
hand,  envy,  forever  disquieting  the  soul,  works  rottenness  of  the 
bones.  Probably  the  Hebrews  were  familiar  with  the  physio- 
logical fact  that  an  unhappy  state  of  mind  retards  the  healing  of 
broken  bones. 

31.  He  that  oppresseth  the  poor  reproacheth  his  Maker : 
but  he  that  honoreth  him  hath  mercy  on  the  poor. 

In  so  far  as  the  poor  are  made  so  by  the  providence  of  God,  it 
is  especially  true  that  to  oppress  them  because  they  are  poor  is 
to  reproach  him  whose  providential  agency  has  been  the  means 

or  occasion  of  their  poverty. In  a yet  broader  sense,  all  the 

poor  are  under  God’s  protection  against  unrighteous  oppression, 
so  that  whoever  tramples  on  God’s  law  forbidding  the  oppression 
of  the  poor  contemns  God  himself.  The  former  sense,  however, 

harmonizes  better  with  the  word  “reproach.” The  last  clause 

makes  a more  direct  antithesis  if  read,  “He  who  hath  mercy  on 
the  poor  does  honor  to  his  Maker.”  Both  clauses  concur  to  show 
how  our  treatment  of  God’s  poor  expresses  our  regard  for  himself. 
Oppressing  them,  we  reproach  him ; compassionating  them,  we  do 
him  honor.  Corresponding  to  which  are  the  words  of  Jesus : 
“Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me”  (Matt.  25:  40).  Do  we  practically  think 
so? 

32.  The  wicked  is  driven  away  in  his  wickedness : but 
the  righteous  hath  hope  in  his  death. 

This  proverb  draws  the  fearful  contrast  between  the  wicked 
and  the  righteous  in  their  death,  and  leaves  us  to  infer  the  yet 
jaore  fearful  contrast  in  their  respective  destinies  in  the  life  be- 
yond. “The  wicked  are  driven  away,”  pressed  and  forced  along 
by  resistless  agencies  of  disease  or  disaster,  their  guilty  souls 
shrinking,  recoiling,  and  struggling  in  vain  against  the  iron  power 
of  death  and  retribution.  “ They  are  driven  away  in  their  wicked- 
ness,”  no  penitence  in  their  hearts  and  no  pardon  from  the  throne 
of  a just  God,  and  as  the  antithesis  of  the  proverb  implies,  with 

5 


96 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIV. 


no  hope , such  as  the  righteous  have  in  their  death.  Alas!  this 
is  the  bitterness  of  his  lot!  No  ray  of  hope  gleams  upon  the  lurid 
darkness  of  his  impending  and  engulfing  doom!  As  he  lived  a 
sinner,  so  he  dies  a sinner,  and  goes  a sinner  into  that  other  world 
where  such  enemies  of  God  and  of  all  goodness  have  their  “ own 
place .” 

In  the  strongest  contrast  with  this  stands  the  death  of  the 
righteous.  A single  element  in  his  case  suffices  to  suggest  all  the 
rest;  he  “has  hope  in  his  death.”  But  this  word  “hope”  must 
not  be  taken  in  the  low  sense  of  a doubtful  anticipation,  a shade 
of  hopefulness  struggling  against  many  misgivings  and  fears.  The 
word  is  stronger  and  richer  far  than  that.  It  means  that  he  is 
trustful  and  has  a refuge,  full  of  consolation,  in  the  hour  of  his 
death.  God  is  that  refuge.  God  witnesses  to  his  soul  of  his 
gracious  presence  and  of  his  quenchless,  ever  faithful  love. 
Hence  the  righteous  man’s  hope  dictates  this  song : “ Though  I 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I will  fear  no 
evil,  for  thou  art  with  me;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me.” 
(Ps.  23 : 4). 

It  has  been  the  fashion  for  a class  of  critics  to  deny  that  the 
old  patriarchs  and  prophets  had  any  knowledge  of  a future  state 
of  rewards  and  punishments.  Suppose  one  of  those  critics 
should  accost  Solomon — Do  you  know  any  thing  about  the  wicked 
or  the  righteous  after  death  ? Solomon  would  at  least  have  so 
much  as  this  to  answer:  I have  carefully  observed  the  death  of 
the  two  opposite  classes.  I have  seen  hundreds  of  bad  men  die, 
driven  away  in  their  wickedness;  I also  saw  my  venerable  father 
die  with  those  blessed  words  on  his  tongue — “ Though  I walk 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  I will  fear  no  evil.”  I 
have  seen  many  a good  man  die  in  the  spirit  of  a sustaining  trust 
in  his  God;  and  now,  believing  that  death  changes  no  man’s 
moral  character  and  that  the  same  God  rules  over  both  this  world 
and  the  next,  I must  conclude  that  these  foreshadowings  of  the 
future  which  stand  out  so  boldly  in  the  hour  of  death  are  God’s 
witnesses  to  the  contrast  in  destiny  which  we  shall  all  find  when 

we  enter  the  world  to  come. This  is  the  logic  of  the  proverb 

before  us.  How  much  direct  revelation  from  God  on  this  point 
he  or  his  fathers  before  him  had,  he  does  not  say.  Let  it  suffice 
us  just  here  to  interpret  well  the  words  he  gives  us  and  to  bring 
the  truths  they  teach  us  home  to  our  very  hearts ! 

33.  Wisdom  resteth  in  the  heart  of  him  that  hath  un- 
derstanding : but  that  which  is  in  the  midst  of  fools  is  made 
known. 

Wisdom  finds  a natural  home  in  the  heart  of  the  intelligent 
and  discreet;  they  know  more  than  they  say,  and' give  you  the 
impression  of  reserved  force  behind,  ready  for  all  future  emer- 
gencies.  On  the  other  hand,  fools  know  but  little  and  know 

not  how  to  conceal  or  reserve  any  portion  of  that. This  senti- 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


97 


ment  which  puts  it  as  a characteristic  of  fools  to  blurt  forth  all 
they  think  appears  in  various  proverbs,  e.  g .,  12:  13  and  13:  14 

and  15  : 2. A proper  regard  to  this  proverb  would  abate  much 

of  the  foolish  talking  of  our  world  for  reputation’s  sake,  if  not 
from  discretion. 

34.  Righteousness  exalte th  a nation : but  sin  is  a re- 
proach to  any  people. 

This  proverb  speaks  of  righteousness  and  sin  as  pertaining 
either  to  the  government  or  to  the  general  character  of  a people; 
or  more  probably  to  both,  since  in  general  the  government  will 
reflect  the  average  sentiment  and  character  of  the  people.  The 
point  of  the  antithesis  seems  to  be  not  so  much  strength  on  the 
one  hand  and  weakness  on  the  other,  as  honor  in  the  one  case 
and  shame  in  the  other.  Righteousness  in  the  sense  of  rectitude, 
a just  administration  of  government  and  a people  bearing  them- 
selves justly  toward  each  other  but  especially  toward  other  nations, 
will  lift  the  nation  high  in  honor;  while  on  the  other  hand  sin, 
in  the  strong  sense  of  national  outrages  against  the  great  laws  of 
our  common  humanity,  the  oppression  of  the  weak,  unjust  wars, 

tyrannous  exactions — these  are  the  reproach  of  nations. The 

Hebrew  word  standing  here  for  “reproach”  occurs  but  once  else- 
where in  this  sense,  viz. : Lev.  20:  17;  “It  is  a wicked  thing” — 
said  of  a most  unnatural  crime  against  the  chastity  and  purity 

of  the  family  relation. The  Hebrew  words  for  “ nation  ’ and 

“people”  are  used  for  Gentiles  as  distinct  from  Jews,  and  there- 
fore include  all  the  nations  of  all  time,  Gentiles  by  specification, 
and  a fortiori  the  Jews  and  all  Christian  nations  of  every  age,  for 
with  clearer  light  comes  greater  responsibility  and  greater  guilt 
and  shame  for  national  sin. 

35.  The  king’s  favor  is  toward  a wise  servant:  but  his 
wrath  is  against  him  that  cause  th  shame. 

The  servant  is  thought  of  here  as  causing  shame  to  his  king  by 
his  indiscretions  and  by  disappointing  his  reasonable  expectations. 
Such  a servant  justly  incurs  the  king’s  displeasure.  How  can  he 
endure  such  a servant  ? 


CHAPTER  XV. 

1.  A soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath  : but  grievous 
words  stir  up  anger. 

An  answer  soft,  not  in  the  sense  of  weak,  silly,  but  of  mild  and 
soothing,  turns  back  wrath ; abates  its  virus,  averts  its  aim,  makes 
the  wrathful  man  ashamed.  But  irritating  words,  such  as  cause 


98 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


pain,,  fire  up  the  passion  of  anger  to  more  fearful  fury.  Even 
gentle  tones  of  voice  and  a quiet  manner  and  bearing  have  a mar- 
velous power  to  turn  away  wrath ; even  as  sharp  and  violent  tones 
on  the  contrary  excite  angry  passions  to  a fiercer  flame. 

These  words  are  a fine  example  of  the  useful  proverb — terse, 
sententious,  full  of  good  sense  and  practical  truth,  so  put  as  to  be 
easily  remembered  and  readily  carried  in  the  mind  for  every-day 
use. 

2.  The  tongue  of  the  wise  useth  knowledge  aright : but 
the  mouth  of  fools  poureth  out  foolishness. 

The  special  sense  in  which  the  tongue  of  the  wise  makes  good 
use  of  knowledge  I take  to  be  that  the  wise  man  speaks  on  fit 
occasions ; is  wise  in  manner  and  in  adaptation  to  times  and  cir- 
cumstances ; and  also,  not  least,  that  he  uses  his  skill  to  make 

knowledge  pleasing  and  attractive  to  the  learner. Over  against 

this,  the  mouth  of  fools  pours  forth  folly  as  an  inverted  bottle  lets 
out  its  waters,  bubbling,  gurgling,  splurging,  as  if  to  caution  by- 
standers to  keep  out  of  the  way.  This  seems  to  be  the  figure 
involved  in  the  verb  here  used.  This  proverb  is  not  lacking  in 
pith  and  power. 

3.  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in  every  place,  beholding 
the  evil  and  the  good. 

The  eye  is  the  best  possible  symbol  from  the  material  world  to 
represent  the  piercing,  pervading,  perfect  knowledge  of  the  omnis- 
cient mind.  To  say  “they  are  in  every  place”  gives  us  the  con- 
ception of  his  omnipresence,  reaching  every  possible  sphere  and 
mode  of  created  existence,  showing  that  the  darkness  and  the  light 
are  both  alike  to  him,  and  that  there  is  no  hiding  in  any  secret 
place  where  his  mind  shall  not  know  our  thoughts  and  deeds  most 
perfectly.  The  word  for  “beholding”  means  scanning,  searching 
out,  the  term  commonly  used  for  the  responsible  service  of  the 

watchman  whose  sole  concern  is  to  see. The  words,  “ the  evil 

and  the  good,”  mean  not  evil  and  good  in  the  abstract,  but  evil 
men  and  good  men — the  responsible  agents  who  are  doing  either 
evil  or  good.  The  infinite  God  is  bound  to  take  cognizance  of 

their  doings. This  proverb  puts  a great  and  vital  truth  in  its 

most  practical  form. 

4.  A wholesome  tongue  is  a tree  of  life  : but  perverseness 
therein  is  a breach  in  the  spirit. 

This  proverb,  like  vs.  1,  2,  treats  of  the  power  of  the  tongue.  A 
tongue  mild  [better  than  “wholesome”]  is  a permanent  blessing 
[“tree  of  life”] ; but  one  that  works  perversely  breaks  the  heart, 
comes  down  crashing  with  dire  blows  into  the  chambers  of  the 
soul.  Men  feel  such  inflictions  keenly.  What  breaking  is  like 
that  of  the  spirit  ? 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


99 


5.  A fool  despiseth  his  father’s  instruction : but  he  that 
regardeth  reproof  is  prudent. 

In  the  last  clause  “is  prudent,”  should  rather  be  “ will  act  pru- 
dently” Then  the  antithesis  of  the  proverb  lies  between  what  is 
implied  in  the  first  clause  and  what  is  affirmed  in  the  second, 
thus : The  fool  despiseth  his  father’s  instruction  and  therefore  will 
act  foolishly , while  he  who  regards  reproof  will  be  guided  thereby 
to  act  wisely.  Of  course  the  son  who  scorns  his  father’s  counsels 
is  very  sure  to  play  the  fool  and  go  wrong,  and  so  make  his  life 
a failure. 

6.  In  the  house  of  the  righteous  is  much  treasure : but  in 
the  revenues  of  the  wicked  is  trouble. 

The  word  “ revenues,”  as  here  used,  means  income  in  general. 
But  the  assumption  is  that  the  income  of  wicked  men  has  been 
gained  by  bad  means,  and  therefore  brings  him  trouble.  Over 
against  this,  the  righteous  man  has  in  his  house  not  only  much 
treasure,  but  treasure  that  does  him  much  good,  that  brings  not, 
trouble  but  real  comfort.  In  this  point  lies  the  gist,  the  real 
antithesis,  of  the  proverb. 

7.  The  lips  of  the  wise  disperse  knowledge  : but  the  heart 
of  the  foolish  doeth  not  so. 

The  last  word  of  the  verse  “so”  is  by  general  consent  of  modern 
critics  a noun  (as  in  Isa.  16  : 6),  meaning  things  not  sound,  not 
reliable,  but  vain,  empty,  valueless.  Then,  there  being  no  verb 
expressed  in  the  last  clause,  the  choice  lies  between  reading  it, 
The  heart  of  the  foolish  is  an  unsound,  valueless  thing ; or  with 
the  verb  of  the  clause  preceding,  disperses , scatters  abroad , value- 
less things.  The  latter  is  the  best. 

8.  The  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination  to  the 
Lord  : but  the  prayer  of  the  upright  is  his  delight. 

The  sacrifice  offered  by  the  wicked,  God  abhors  for  the  twofold 
reason — that  it  lacks  sincerity,  love,  the  element  of  true  worship 
and  homage ; and  also,  that  it  has  sinister  ends  in  view,  e.  g. , to 
propitiate  God’s  favor  upon  a heart  and  life  of  sin;  to  buy  an  in- 
dulgence; it  being  an  effort  to  offset  so  much  cost  of  sacrifice 
against  the  permission  to  go  on  in  sin  and  rebellion  without  in- 
curring the  awful  penalties  thereof. On  the  other  hand,  the 

mere  prayer  of  the  upright,  even  though  he  may  have  no  costly 
sacrifice  to  give,  is  God’s  delight.  The  offering  of  the  heart  in- 
sures his  favor. 

9.  The  way  of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination  unto  the 
Lord  ; but  he  loveth  him  that  followeth  after  righteous- 
ness. 

The  last  preceding  proverb  respects  the  offering  of  religious 


100 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


sacrifices  and  prayer ; this  relates  to  the  moralities  of  life.  God 
abhors  the  conduct  of  the  wicked,  the  way  they  live,  the  things 
they  do;  while  those  who  follow  earnestly  after  righteousness  [the 
sense  of  the  Hebrew  verb  as  it  stands  here]  God  truly  loves. 

10.  Correction  is  grievous  unto  him  that  forsaketh  the 
way  : and  he  that  hateth  reproof  shall  die. 

The  first  clause  does  not  mean  merely  that  correction  is  unpleas- 
ant, repulsive  to  one  who  forsakes  the  right  way  of  life ; but  this, 
that  a sore,  severe  correction  will  befall  him.  A grievous  correc- 
tion will  be  the  lot  of  those  who  forsake  the  way.  To  this  the 

last  clause  corresponds  : he  who  hateth  reproof  shall  die. Upon 

the  last  word,  the  question  must  arise,  What  death  will  he  die? 
Can  it  be  merely  that  death  which  is  the  common  lot  of  all,  of 
the  good  and  the  bad  with  equal  certainty  ? This  would  amount 
to  no  distinctive  threatening  whatever.  We  must,  therefore,  assume 
that  this  death  involves  the  fearful  penalties  of  the  divine  law — 
the  death  that  lies  beyond  the  dissolution  of  this  mortal  body — the 
death  which  is  for  the  wicked  alone. 

11.  Hell  and  destruction  are  before  the  Lord:  how 
much  more  then  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  men? 

The  word  for  “hell”  used  here  is  Sheol , meaning  the  under- 
world, the  supposed  abode  of  the  dead,  thought  of  as  the  deepest 
and  darkest  of  all  places.  The  word  for  “destruction”  (abaddon), 
corresponding  to  the  Greek  apolluon  (Eng.  apollyon),  is  here  an- 
other name  for  the  same  place.  The  proverb  affirms  that  this 
deepest  and  darkest  of  places  is  not  too  dark  for  the  eye  of  God 
to  pierce  through,  but  is  present  to  his  view,  all  exposed  and 
naked  before  him.  How  much  more  then  must  this  be  true  of  the 
hearts  of  all  the  sons  of  men  ? The  sentiment  is  therefore  essen- 
tially the  same  as  in  v.  3 above. 

12.  A scorner  loveth  not  one  that  reproveth  him: 
neither  will  he  go  unto  the  wise. 

By  his  very  nature  the  scorner  is  proud  and  disdains  reproof. 
Even  the  wisdom  of  the  wisest  of  men  has  no  attraction  for  him. 

13.  A merry  heart  maketh  a cheerful  countenance : but 
by  sorrow  of  the  heart  the  spirit  is  broken. 

“Merry”  in  the  sense  of  joyful.  A joyous  heart  expresses 
itself  in  a cheerful  face,  but  by  sorrow  [vexation]  of  heart,  the 
spirit  is  depressed,  dejected,  and  with  the  spirit,  the  countenance 
also,  though  this  is  implied,  not  expressed. 

14.  The  heart  of  him  that  hath  understanding  seeketh 
knowledge:  but  the  mouth  of  fools  feedeth  on  foolishness. 

The  heart  of  the  thoughtful  [intelligent]  will  seek  additional 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


101 


knowledge.  The  last  clause  I take  to  mean  that  fools  love  to  talk 
nonsense;  they  enjoy  it  as  a hungry  man  his  bread;  consequently 
they  have  no  impulses  toward  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  Igno- 
rance and  folly  answer  the  purpose  of  their  heart’s  desire  even 
better!  Alas,  for  such  folly  in  souls  endowed  by  their  Creator 
with  capacities  for  the  noblest  science ! 

15.  All  the  days  of  the  afflicted  are  evil : but  he  that  is 
of  a merry  heart  hath  a continual  feast. 

The  old  English  sense  of  the  word  “merry”  was  not  jolly, 
mirthful,  but  cheerful,  serene — perhaps  through  sweet  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God.  The  Hebrew  word  in  this  case  means  good,  a 
good  heart,  or  perhaps  goodness  of  heart.  The  doctrine  of  the 
proverb  is  that  although  the  outward  life  and  surroundings  of  the 
afflicted  may  be  wholly  sad  and  comfortless,  yet  a good  heart 
rises  nobly  above  their  depressing  influence  and  becomes  like  a 
perpetual  feast — a source  of  joy  at  once  pure  and  perennial.  So 
may  the  spirit  of  man  assert  its  superiority  to  the  flesh — the  inner 
man  to  the  outer. 

16.  Better  is  little  with  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  than  great 
treasure  and  trouble  therewith. 

This  sentiment  is  at  once  plain  and  rich.  The  blessing  of  God 
on  the  humblest  crust  of  bread  is  sweeter  than  the  abundance  of 

earthly  riches,  with  trouble  ever  attending. “The  fear  of  the 

Lord”  is  used  here  in  the  large  sense  of  true  piety,  including 
love  and  trust.  It  is  the  filial  spirit  of  sonship,  reposing  in 
the  universal  providence  of  a Great  Father,  and  rejoicing  in  his 

wisdom  to  withhold  as  truly  as  in  his  bounty  to  bestow. The 

trouble  incident  to  “great  treasure”  is  rarely  estimated  at  its  full 
measure.  Men  are  not  wont  to  consider  how  many  have  lost  their 
reason  under  the  perpetual  strain  of  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  a 
great  estate.  Monomaniacy  is  often  God’s  mode  of  retributive 

visitation  upon  the  sin  of  an  excessive  love  of  money. Over 

against  this,  how  blessed  are  those  who  have  only  the  more  of 
God’s  presence  and  love,  as  they  have  less  of  earth  and  of  things 
earthly ! 

17.  Better  is  a dinner  of  herbs  where  love  is,  than  a 
stalled  ox  and  hatred  therewith. 

Even  leaving  the  favor  and  love  of  God  out  of  account,  there  are 
things  in  the  line  of  the  social  affections  which  far  more  than 
counterbalance  the  ills  of  frugal  or  even  meager  fare.  A dinner 
of  herbs,  with  the  sweet  charities  of  the  heart  superadded,  stands 
indefinitely  far  before  the  stall-fed  ox,  served  up  amid  the  asperi- 
ties and  malignities  of  cherished  hate. This  again  is  a fine  ex- 

ample of  the  moral  proverb,  terse  and  telling  in  the  form  of  it, 
wholesome  and  forcible  in  sentiment  and  in  its  social  bearings. 


102 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


18.  A wrathful  man  stirreth  up  strife : but  he  that  is  slow 
to  anger  appeaseth  strife. 

This  proverb  may  be  applied  to  the  relative  influence  of  the 
passionate  and  of  the  self-governed  respectively  upon  other  people  s 
quarrels , or  to  their  influence  upon  their  own.  The  same  qualities 
of  spirit  and  manner  will  produce  the  same  results  in  either  case. 
Compare  29:  22  and  28:  25. 

19.  The  way  of  the  slothful  man  is  a hedge  of  thorns : 
but  the  way  of  the  righteous  is  made  plain. 

The  sluggard  makes  his  own  pathway  like  a thorn-hedge — almost 
impassable  and  always  full  of  annoyances  and  troubles;  while  the 
righteous  man  makes  his  as  a prepared  causeway,  a turnpiked  road. 

A road  raised,  thrown  up,  is  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew. The 

writer  can  not  mean  that  the  sluggard  always  finds  his  way  made 
for  him  a thorn-hedge — the  circumstances  of  his  life  always  such 
as  render  useful  activity  almost  hopeless  to  him.  This  would  as- 
cribe to  divine  providence  what  is  due  to  his  own  laziness. 

The  remarkable  thing  in  this  proverb  is  the  antithesis  be- 
tween the  sluggard  on  the  one  hand  and  the  righteous  man  on  the 
other — as  if  to  suggest  that  such  laziness  is  a sin — a moral  obliquity 
— which  never  appears  in  a truly  upright  man. 

20.  A wise  son  maketh  a glad  father : but  a foolish  man 
despiseth  his  mother. 

See  essentially  the  same  in  10:  1,  and  also  in  29:  3.  Compar- 
ing this  proverb  with  that  in  10:  1,  we  have  “man”  instead  of 
“son,”  as  if  to  suggest  the  baseness  of  such  contempt  of  one’s 
mother,  holding  on  from  the  tender  years  of  the  boy  into  the  ma- 
turity of  manhood.  Also  observe  that  instead  of  saying,  “is  the 
heaviness  of  his  mother,”  he  says  what  is  naturally  equivalent, 
“despiseth  his  mother.”  Folly  (always  associated  with  sin  and 
crime)  is  most  certain  to  manifest  itself  in  contempt  of  one’s 
mother.  Maternal  counsel  and  prayer  will  surely  be  set  at  naught 
by  the  man  of  folly  and  crime.  How  many  mothers’  hearts  are 
doomed,  from  this  cause,  to  bear  a daily  load  of  almost  crushing 
heaviness ! 

21.  Folly  is  joy  to  him  that  is  destitute  of  wisdom : but 
a man  of  understanding  walketh  uprightly. 

The  man  who  lacks  a heart  [Heb.]  finds  a low,  miserable  pleas- 
ure in  his  folly,  and  consequently  he  will  not  forsake  his  foolish 
life  nor  cease  from  his  folly  of  soul.  This  logical  consequent 
seems  to  be  put  in  antithesis  with  the  natural  bent  of  the  intelli- 
gent wise  man  toward  walking  uprightly.  The  one  will  not  and 
the  other  will  walk  right,  because  the  former  loves  his  folly,  and 
the  latter  loves  wisdom  and  all  her  ways. 


PROVERBS— CIIAP.  XV. 


103 


22.  Without  counsel  purposes  are  disappointed:  but  in 
the  multitude  of  counselors  they  are  established. 

See  11 : 14.  The  best  of  plans  need  wisdom  for  their  effective 
execution.  'Since  all  men,  even  though  wise,  do  not  look  from  the 
same  stand-point,  and  hence  see  various  aspects  of  the  same  thing, 
it  comes  to  pass  that  ua  multitude  of  counselors”  enhances  the 
probability  of  attaining  the  best  wisdom  and  the  safest  results. 

23.  A man  hath  joy  by  the  answer  of  his  mouth  : and  a 
word  spoken  in  due  season,  how  good  is  it ! 

I take  the  sense  to  be  that  a man  enjoys  giving  a discreet  and  wise 
answer.  He  feels  a personal  satisfaction  in  the  exercise  of  the 
kindness  and  good-will  which  it  involves,  and  also  in  imparting 
useful  knowledge  or  good  advice.  Moreover,  a word  spoken  in 
good  time,  well  put,  how  good  it  appears  to  others ! How  much 
they,  too,  enjoy  it! 

24.  The  way  of  life  is  above  to  the  wise,  that  he  may 
depart  from  hell  beneath. 

“Above”  is  used  precisely  in  the  sense  of  upward.  The  wise 
man  s chosen  way  of  living  tends  upward , far  as  possible  away 
from  hell  below.  He  keeps  himself  remote  and  bends  his  path- 
way far  from  the  deep  abyss  of  perdition  beneath.  The  proverb 
seems  to  involve  these  two  ideas : that  he  aims  to  remove  himself 
as  far  as  possible  from  the  place  and  the  doom  of  the  wicked ; 
and  that  such  is  in  fact  the  result  of  his  chosen  path  of  life. 

25.  The  Lord  will  destroy  the  house  of  the  proud ; but 
he  will  establish  the  border  of  the  widow. 

“ House  ” includes  the  estate,  the  wealth  of  the  proud.  The  Lord 
abhors  them,  and  therefore  will  bring  upon  them  the  present  retri- 
butions of  his  righteous  providence.  But  on  the  other  hand,  the 
widow,  defenseless  in  herself,  will  be  the  special  object  of  his 
care.  To  “establish  her  border,”  i.  e .,  the  boundary  lines  of  her 
landed  estate,  covers  the  whole  idea  of  assured  protection  and 
defense.  As  to  this  world’s  good,  the  former  class  God  will  over- 
throw; the  latter,  he  will  enlarge  in  their  straits  and  make  sure 
to  them  all  needful  good. 

26.  The  thoughts  of  the  wicked  are  an  abomination  to 
the  Lord  : but  the  words  of  the  pure  are  pleasant  words. 

The  Hebrew  word  for  “thoughts,”  is  rather  devices.  The 
plottings  of  evil  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord;  but  amiable 
words  are  pure,  acceptable  before  him.  Words  spoken  with  kind 
purpose,  good  intention,  are  pure  in  his  sight,  like  the  appointed 
sacrificial  offerings.  I prefer  this  construction  of  the  last  clause 
to  that  given  in  the  English  version  for  two  reasons:  (1.)  The 
Hebrew  word  for  “pure”  is  naturally  apnlied  to  sacrificial  offer- 


104 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XV. 


ings  rather  than  to  pure-minded  men;  and  (2.)  In  this  construc- 
tion, the  antithesis  with  the  previous  clause  is  more  direct — the 
devices  of  the  wicked  placed  over  against  words  flavored  with 
grace,  goodness. 

27.  He  that  is  greedy  of  gain  troubleth  his  own  house  ; 
but  he  that  hateth  gifts  shall  live. 

“Gifts”  in  the  sense  of  bribes.  “Live,”  in  the  broad  sense  of 
all  prosperity,  real  life.  He  who  is  so  greedy  of  gain  as  to  accept 
bribes  and  to  allow  himself  as  a judge  to  give  corrupt  decisions 
therefor,  brings  trouble  upon  his  house,  including  perhaps  both 
his  family  and  his  estate.  The  money  he  gets  in  this  way  will 
curse  him  and  his  children  after  him. 

28.  The  heart  of  the  righteous  studieth  to  answer : but 
the  mouth  of  the  wicked  poureth  out  evil  things. 

“ Studieth,”  in  the  sense  of  considering  well  in  order  to  answer 
discreetly.  On  the  other  hand  the  mouth  of  the  wicked  dis- 
charges the  virus  of  a bad  heart  with  no  reserve,  no  forethoughtful 
consideration.  The  one  thinks  seriously  before  he  speaks;  the 
other  only  lifts  the  floodgates  and  lets  his  pent-up  wickedness  gush 
out. 

29.  The  Lord  is  far  from  the  wicked  : but  he  lieareth 
the  prayer  of  the  righteous. 

“The  Lord  is  far  from  the  wicked”  both  in  sympathy  and  in 
fact — so  far  that  he  hears  not  their  wicked  prayer.  Of  course 
this  conception  of  the  Lord  as  far  away  from  the  wjcked  pertains 
to  his  moral  relations  and  feelings  toward  them,  and  has  no  bear- 
ing upon  his  omniscience — does  not  imply  that  he  is  too  far  re- 
moved to  mark  and  note  their  deeds  or  to  hold  them  responsible 
for  their  sins. 

30.  The  light  of  the  eyes  rejoiceth  the  heart : and  a good 
report  maketh  the  bones  fat. 

As  light  is  pleasant  to  the  eye  and  breathes  cheerfulness  through 
the  heart,  so  good  tidings  thrill  the  very  nerves  (so  we  should 
express  it),  but  the  Hebrew  writer  thinks  of  the  bones  as  made 
full  of  marrow  by  that  which  diffuses  joy  through  the  soul. 

31.  The  ear  that  heareth  the  reproof  of  life  abideth 
among  the  wise. 

The  ear  that  heareth  (regardeth)  reproofs  tending  to  life  shall 
abide  (find  its  permanent  home)  among  the  wise.  The  word  for 
“abide”  means  primarily  shall  lodge  over  night;  but  this  is  to 
make  a residence,  to  find  a home.  So  beautifully  does  this  pro- 
verb commend  the  docility  which  bends  the  ear  to  listen  to  re- 
proof. He  who  loves  to  correct  his  own  faults  and  to  make  himself 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVI. 


105 


wiser  and  better  to-day  than  he  was  yesterday,  will  surely  find  his 
permanent  home  among  the  wise  and  good. 

32.  He  that  refuseth  instruction  despiseth  his  own  soul : 
but  he  that  heareth  reproof  getteth  understanding. 

This  proverb  treats  of  the  same  general  truth  as  the  preceding. 
“ Despiseth  his  own  soul,”  i.  e .,  shows  himself  no  mercy;  acts  as 
if  he  would  throw  away  his  best  good,  his  immortal  welfare,  as  a 
worthless  thing.  On  the  other  hand,  to  hear  reproof  is  to  “get  a 
heart”  (so  the  Heb.)  i.  e .,  a good  heart,  intelligent,  well-informed, 
wise. 

33.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  instruction  of  wisdom ; 
and  before  honor  is  humility. 

The  fear  of  the  Lord  (true  piety)  brings  the  instructions  of  true 
wisdom.  Humility  before  honor  is  a truth  full  of  practical  good 
sense  and  of  useful  suggestion.  He  who  is  too  wise  in  his  own 
conceit  to  receive  kindly  and  even  thankfully  the  counsels  and 
when  needed  the  faithful  reproofs  of  the  good,  need  not  hope  to 
become  worthy  of  honor.  To  stand  low  in  one's  own  esteem  is 
thus  a first  condition  of  standing  high  in  the  esteem  of  others,  the 
wise  and  the  good.  Discreet  men  award  honor  most  freely  to 
those  who  seem  not  only  worthy  to  receive  but  able  to  bear  it. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

1.  The  preparations  of  the  heart  in  man,  and  the  answer 
of  the  tongue,  is  from  the  Lord. 

The  received  version  fails  to  give  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew 
which  should  read— “To  man  is  the  preparation  of  the  heart; 
from  the  Lord  is  the  answer  of  the  tongue.”  To  man  pertains  the 
disposing,  the  ordering  of  his  heart;  the  government  of  his 
thoughts ; the  formation  of  his  purposes ; the  shaping  of  his  peti- 
tions in  prayer;  but  to  God  pertains  the  answering  of  his  requests, 
the  successful  issue  of  his  schemes.  Apparently  the  sentiment 
of  the  proverb  may  cover  both  the  offering  of  prayer  with  its  an- 
swer from  the  Lord,  and  the  shaping  of  man’s  plans  with  their 
ultimate  issues,  which  are  determined  through  the  agencies  of 
God’s  providence. 

2.  All  the  ways  of  a man  are  clean  in  his  own  eyes  ; 
but  the  Lord  weigheth  the  spirits. 


106 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XVI. 


“ Clean,  ” in  the  sense  of  morally  pure,  right.  Men  are  prone 
to  assume  that  all  their  own  ways  are  right.  But  the  Lord  tries 
the  heart,  and  finds  the  basis  of  his  judgment  there.  Thought 
and  spirit  may  be  quite  intangible  to  us ; we  may  have  no  crucible 
to  try  them  in;  no  scales  that  will  weigh  them;  but  the  scales  of 

God  weigh  the  souls  and  the  spirits  of  men. The  sentiment  of 

the  first  clause  has  already  appeared  in  12 : 15  and  in  14:  12;  the 
entire  proverb  in  slightly  different  terms  in  21 : 2,  and  the  thought 
mainly  in  24:  12. 

3.  Commit  thy  works  unto  the  Lord,  and  thy  thoughts 
shall  be  established. 

Having  formed  your  plans  in  the  fear  of  God,  seek  the  aid  of 
his  providence  in  their  execution;  so  shall  they  be  established. 
The  original  is  expressive — u Moll  your  doings  over  upon  the 
Lord;”  devolve  upon  him  the  ordering  of  all  the  events  which 
are  to  affect  you.  He  will  make  your  plans  firm,  successful.  See 
the  same  sentiment,  Ps.  37 : 5.  God’s  providential  agencies  are 
every-where,  to  confirm  or  to  confound  human  devisings  and 
doings.  Let  no  man  ignore  God's  hand,  lest  God  set  at  naught 
all  his  endeavors. 

4.  The  Lord  hath  made  all  things  for  himself : yea, 
even  the  wicked  for  the  day  of  evil. 

It  is  doubly  important  to  understand  this  proverb,  (1)  Because 
it  does  teach  a great  truth ; (2)  Because  it  does  not  teach  a cer- 
tain great  error  which  has  been  sometimes  imputed  to  it. The 

word  “made”  can  not  be  restricted  to  creative  work,  but  legiti- 
mately includes  all  the  doings  of  God, — works  of  providence  more 
specifically  than  works  of  creation.  The  Lord  works  all  things  in 
the  sense  of  shaping  events  and  determining  issues  with  special 
reference  to  retribution  for  moral  good  or  evil  done  by  his  moral 

subjects. The  original  word  rendered  ufor  himself  ” admits  of 

another  construction  with  this  sense : The  Lord  works  everything 
for  its  own  purpose,  i.  e .,  he  makes  results  and  issues  correspond 
to  the  human  agencies  involved  in  them.  He  makes  the  final 
result  of  every  earthly  life  correspond  to  what  that  life  has  been. 
This  second  possible  construction  yields  a perfectly  unexceptiona- 
ble sense,  and  is  moreover  strongly  sustained  by  the  peculiar 
punctuation  of  the  Hebrew  word  in  which  the  presence  of  the 
article  forbids  us  to  read  it  simply  “for,”  in  the  sense,  “for  the 
sake  of.”  The  sense  of  the  proverb  therefore  is  that  simply  in 
accordance  with  the  great,  eternal  law  of  fitness,  God  brings 
upon  the  wicked  the  destiny  of  suffering.  There  is  a just  and 
righteous  correspondence  between  the  moral  activities  of  his 
creatures  and  the  reward  which  a just  God  will  bestow  therefor. 
This  has  its  special  manifestation  as  between  sin  and  suffering; 
the  moral  evil  that  is  wickedly,  rebelliously  done  by  his  creatures, 
and  the  evil  of  suffering,  righteously  inflicted  by  their  Supreme 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVI. 


107 


King  and  Judge. Unfortunately  this  proverb  has  sometimes 

been  tortured  to  say  that  God  has  created  the  wicked  for  the 
sake  of  punishing  them,  i.  e.,  in  order  to  secure  the  good  results 
of  it  in  his  moral  universe.  This  doctrine  has  been  made  specially 
objectionable  by  associating  it  with  a practical  denial  of  free 
moral  agency — by  assuming  that,  to  accomplish  his  ends  in 
creating  sinners  for  perdition,  God  holds  them  to  a life  of  sinning 
by  a law  of  necessity  which  they  can  not  break.  Nothing  can  be 
wider  from  the  truth  than  this,  or  more  repugnant  to  every  senti- 
ment of  benevolence  or  even  of  justice.  We  need  to  remember 
that  God  punishes  the  wicked  for  their  voluntary  rebellion  against 
his  authority — for  their  purposed  antagonism  toward  all  righteous- 
ness, goodness  and  truth.  We  need  to  distinguish  broadly  between 
God’s  supposed  creating  of  sinners  in  order  that  they  may  sin, 
that  so  he  may  damn  them  for  the  good  to  come  from  it : and  on 
the  other  hand,  his  actually  creating  them  that  they  might  be 
obedient  and  so  be  blest,  and  then  punishing  them  only  because 
they  will  not  obey  him,  but  will  perversely  scorn  their  Maker, 
disown  his  authority,  abuse  his  love,  and  set  at  naught  all  his 
efforts  to  reclaim  and  save  them.  Our  proverb  affirms  that  in 
this  sense  God  shapes  the  destiny  of  the  wicked  to  their  just 
doom  of  suffering.  When  they  absolutely  will  consecrate  them- 
selves to  sinning  and  to  rebellion,  the  only  use  God  can  make  of 
them  is  to  give  them  their  just  doom  of  woe,  and  make  them  an 
example  to  his  moral  universe.  The  only  issue  that  can  bear  a 
just  relation  of  correspondence  to  their  horribly  wicked  life,  is 
this  awful  doom  of  suffering. 

5.  Every  one  that  is  proud  in  heart  is  an  abomination 
to  the  Lord  : though  hand  join  in  hand,  he  shall  not  be 
unpunished. 

It  is  often  repeated  in  various  forms  that  God  abhors  the  proud. 
See  6:  17  and  8:  13.  The  last  clause,  “hand  to  hand  the  wicked 
shall  not  be  held  innocent,”  appears  in  11  : 21.  Prof.  Stuart 
gives  it  this  turn: — Though  one  hand  be  joined  to  the  other, 
though  the  proud  man  put  both  his  hands  and  all  his  power  to 
the  effort,  he  can  never  secure  his  own  exemption  from  punish- 
ment. But  probably  the  sentiment  is,  Though  one  man’s  hand 
be  put  to  another  man’s  hand  with  never  so  much  combination  of 
human  forces,  etc.,  etc. 

6.  By  mercy  and  truth  iniquity  is  purged  : and  by  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  men  depart  from  evil. 

“ Purged,”  in  the  almost  obsolete  sense  of  cleansed  in  the  eye 
of  law,  atoned  for,  covered  so  as  to  be  screened  from  punish- 
ment. This  end  is  promoted  by  thorough  reformation,  the  offender 
returning  to  kindness  [mercy]  and  to  truth,  real  uprightness. 
The  doctrine  applies  to  human  laws  and  to  their  administration ; 
also  to  the  personal  relations  of  man  with  man.  We  much  more 


108 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVI. 


readily  forgive  those  who  give  us  proof  of  their  penitence  by 
radical  reform.  Yet  we  need  not  press  the  proverb  to  make  it 
assert  that  God’s  system  of  forgiving  sinners  calls  for  nothing  else 
but  reformation.  In  his  system  true  repentance  is  a condition  of 

pardon,  yet  not  the  ultimate  ground  on  which  it  rests. As  the 

first  clause  shows  how  sin  once  committed  may  be  atoned  for,  the 
last  clause  shows  how  men  may  avoid  sinning.  Let  a wholesome 
fear  of  God  be  impressed  constantly  upon  their  souls.  So  they 
will  depart  from  sinning. 

7.  When  a man's  ways  please  the  Lord,  he  maketli 
even  his  enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  him. 

This  general  truth  finds  its  reason  in  God’s  favoring  providence, 
and  in  the  fact  that  what  pleases  God  will  commend  itself  to  the 
human  conscience  as  right,  and  will  therefore  afford  the  least 
possible  occasion  for  ill-will  and  opposition.  This  truth  can  not 
be  taken  as  a universal  one,  for,  if  universal,  it  would  make  per- 
secution for  righteousness’  sake  impossible.  The  depravity  of  a 
very  wicked  world  brings  in  some  exceptions  to  the  general  law 
indicated  here. 

8.  Better  is  a little  with  righteousness,  than  great  revenues 
without  right. 

Nearly  the  same  sentiment  appears  in  15:  16  and  Ps.  37:  16. 
A very  little  wealth,  and  even  few  comforts,  yet  with  righteous- 
ness, insuring  peace  of  conscience  and  peace  with  God,  is  better 
than  great  incomes  obtained  in  violation  of  justice.  Wealth  so 
gotten  brings  with  it  the  curse  of  the  Almighty;  sooner  or  later 
the  bitterest  self-condemnation,  and  the  detestation  of  all  the  good. 
With  stinging  words  of  terrible  truth  the  apostle  James  puts  this 
case:  “Your  gold  and  silver  is  cankered,  and  the  rust  of  them 
shall  be  a witness  against  you  and  shall  eat  your  flesh  as  it  had 
been  fire.  Ye  have  heaped  treasure  together  for  the  last  days. 
Behold,  the  hire  of  your  laborers  who  have  reaped  down  your 
fields,  which  is  of  you  kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth,  and  the  cries 
of  them  that  have  reaped  have  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord 
of  Sabaoth”  (5:  1-5). 

9.  A man’s  heart  deviseth  his  way : but  the  Lord  direct- 
eth  his  steps. 

It  is  for  man  to  lay  his  plans ; the  Lord  only  can  confirm  them. 
This  rests  in  his  good  pleasure. 

10.  A divine  sentence  is  in  the  lips  of  the  king : his 
mouth  transgresseth  not  in  judgment. 

Solomon  thought  of  civil  government  as  ordained  of  God,  and 
of  the  king  therefore  as  ruling  under  God,  and,  while  standing  in 
his  proper  relations  toward  God,  as  divinely  guided  in  his  deci- 
sions.  The  Hebrew  word  rendered  “divine  sentence”  is  often 


PROVERBS- -CHAP.  XVI. 


109 


xrsed  for  divination,  i.  e.,  for  communications  supposed  to  come 

from  some  higher  power. “His  mouth  transgresseth  not" 

[more  precisely,  will  not  speak  deceitfully ] in  its  judicial  decisions. 
You  may  expect  honesty  from  one  who  stands  so  near  to  God  and 

who  bears  such  responsibilities. It  need  not  be  assumed  that 

this  proverb  was  intended  as  a history  of  the  kings  of  the  earth. 
It  is  rather  a view  of  their  relations  to  God  and  of  their  conse- 
quent responsibilities  and  duties.  If  you  may  assume  that  they 
are  acting  honestly  and  truly  for  God,  then  these  things  will  be 
true. 

11.  A just  weight  and  balance  are  the  Lord’s:  all  the 
weights  of  the  bag  are  his  work. 

These  are  the  Lord’s  in  the  sense  that  he  requires  them  and 
enjoins  the  fair  dealing  which  they  provide  for  and  were  intended 
to  secure.  u His  work"  seems  to  imply  that  he  made  them,  and 
enjoined  their  use  as  a safeguard  against  the  inherent  human 
selfishness  which  would  otherwise  develop  itself  in  fraud  or  in- 
justice. See  the  same  sentiment  in  11. : 1,  and  the  Hebrew  law  in 
Let.  19:  36.— — The  Hebrew  word  for  “weights”  is  stones , sug- 
gesting the  ancient  usage  of  small  stones  for  weights.  The  dealer 
carried  them  in  a bag.  Hence  the  greater  facility  for  deceit, 
since  he  might  and  sometimes  did  carry  one  set  of  stones  to  buy 
with  and  another  to  sell  with.  See  20:  10  below,  where  this 
form  of  fraud  is  condemned. 

12.  It  is  an  abomination  to  kings  to  commit  wickedness : 
for  the  throne  is  established  by  righteousness. 

Obviously  this  first  clause  must  be  taken  in  the  ethical  and  not 
the  historical  sense — as  affirming  what  is  in  itself  considered  rather 
than  what  is  in  the  real  hearts  of  kings.  In  view  of  the  king’s 
relations  both  to  the  Great  God  and  to  the  good  of  his  people, 
nothing  can  be  more  true  than  this,  that  the  doing  of  evil  ought 
to  be  utterly  abhorrent  to  his  soul,  a supreme  abomination.  The 
reason  assigned  is — “ For  the  throne  is  established  by  righteous- 
ness,” and  no  king  has  a right  to  break  down  his  own  throne. 
He  ought  to  shudder  at  the  bare  thought  of  any  act  that  must 

naturally  sap  its  foundations. It  is  pleasant  to  think  that  these 

were  Solomon’s  own  views  of  his  royal  responsibilities  when  he 
came  to  the  throne  of  Israel  (1  Kings  3:  5—9,  and  2 Chron.  1:  8- 
10),  and  that  he  wras  taught  them  impressively  in  the  last  words 
of  his  venerable  father:  “ The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me  and 
his  word  was  in  my  tongue.  The  God  of  Israel  said,  He  that 
ruleth  over  men  must  be  just , ruling  in  the  fear  of  God.  And  he 
shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  morning  when  the  sun  riseth,  even  a 
morning  without  clouds ; as  the  tender  grass  springing  out  of  the 
earth  by  clear  shining  after  rain”  (2  Sam.  23:  2-5). 

13.  Righteous  lips  are  the  delight  of  kings  ; and  they  love 
him  that  speaketh  right. 


110 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVI. 


In  this  connection  “righteous  lips”  are  truth-speaking  lips 
They  are  the  delight  of  kings,  because  it  is  essential  in  order  to 
rule  well  that  their  sources  of  knowledge  should  be  reliable,  and 
that  they  should  know  the  actual  facts  of  every  case. 

14.  The  wrath  of  a king  is  as  messengers  of  death:  but  a 
wise  man  will  pacify  it. 

This  assumes  that  the  king’s  power  is  absolute — the  power  of 
life  and  death  over  his  subjects.  Hence  his  wrath  is  like  the 
swift  “angels  of  death.”  The  same  arbitrary  terrible  power  is 
assumed  to  lie  in  the  king  in  the  proverbs  (19:  12  and  20:  2). 
It  appears  in  the  history  of  David  and  Solomon  (1  Kings  1:  52 
and  2 : 6,  8,  9).  Hence,  if  a man  is  wise  he  will  labor  to  pacify 
the  king’s  wrath  and  be  careful  not  to  excite  it. 

15.  In  the  light  of  the  king’s  countenance  is  life  ; and  his 
favor  is  as  a cloud  of  the  latter  rain. 

In  symbol,  light  indicates  joy  and  good  will ; the  “ light  of  the 
king’s  countenance”  stands  opposed  to  dark  frowns  on  his  brow. 
It  therefore  expresses  his  good  will  and  is  life  to  those  on  whom  it 
falls.  Beautifully  is  his  favor  compared  to  the  cloud  that  brings 
the  latter  rain.  These  latter  rains,  falling  in  March  and  April, 
shortly  before  their  harvest,  and  essential  to  its  maturing  well, 
were  foretokened  by  this  cloud  of  promise,  which  must,  therefore, 
have  been  a beautiful  sight  to  the  husbandman — not  a black  cloud 
of  wrath ; not  the  precursor  of  hail  and  tempest,  but  of  gentle 
showers  that  came  to  crown  with  blessings  the  approaching  harvest. 

16.  How  much  better  is  it  to  get  wisdom  than  gold!  and 
to  get  understanding  rather  to  be  chosen  than  silver ! 

Compare  8:  11,  19.  This  is  rather  an  exclamation  than  a ques- 
tion, calling  for  a precise  answer.  In  the  original  it  is  put  tersely 
and  forcibly : “To  get  wisdom — how  good  it  is  more  than  gold ! 
And  to  get  understanding — to  be  chosen  more  than  silver!  ” Solo- 
mon himself,  at  least  in  his  youth,  was  a fine  illustration  of  this 
sentiment.  (See  1 Kings  3:  11-13.)  The  sentiment  is  eminently 
wholesome  both  for  kings  and  for  all  who  bear  the  responsibilities 
of  government. 

17.  The  highway  of  the  upright  is  to  depart  from  evil: 
he  that  keepeth  his  way  preserveth  his  soul. 

Very  noticeably,  the  way  of  the  upright  is  here  a highway , raised 
and  made  smooth  and  dry  for  perfect  travel;  not  rough,  or  low 
and  miry  as  in  the  state  of  nature.  Such  is  the  way  of  life  which 
belongs  to  the  upright.  The  thing  said  of  it  here  is  that  it  turns 
squarely  away  from  evil — leads  off  to  avoid  all  sin,  and  so,  all  ill. 
He  who  carefully  keeps  this  way  will  preserve  not  merely  his 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVI. 


Ill 


strength  from  waste  and  himself  from  weariness,  hut  his  soul  from 
the  evils  that  imperil  human  souls  in  this  world  of  sin. 

18.  Pride  goeth  before  destruction,  and  a haughty  spirit 
before  a fall. 

Pride  is  the  natural  antecedent  of  destruction.  According  to 
all  social  and  moral  law,  destruction  follows  close  upon  foregoing 
pride.  A haughty  spirit  is  itself  a prophecy  of  a speedy  fall.  The 
philosophy  of  this  fact  is  not  hard  to  find,  for  who  does  not  know 
that  a proud  and  haughty  spirit  betrays  folly,  forfeits  esteem  and 
love;  provokes  the  social  and  moral  retribution  that  is  itself  destruc- 
tion and  a fall  ? If  this  be  true  in  human  society  and  under  its 
moral  laws,  how  much  more  under  the  righteous  retributions  of 
Jehovah’s  administration! 

19.  Better  it  is  to  be  of  an  humble  spirit  with  the  lowly, 
than  to  divide  the  spoil  with  the  proud. 

As  the  preceding  proverb  gives  us  the  ruinous  results  of  pride, 

this  gives  the  worth  of  humility. “Dividing  the  spoil,”  in  a 

country  for  ages  hut  too  familiar  with  the  ways  of  savage  robbery 
and  plunder  as  well  as  of  war,  was  naturally  significant  of  victory, 
booty,  and  exuberant  joy.  But  better  are  the  humble  of  heart  who 
have  sympathy  with  the  lowly  than  they  who  associate  with  the 
proud  even  in  their  hours  of  most  exultant  hilarity. 

20.  He  that  handleth  a matter  wisely  shall  find  good : 
and  whoso  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  happy  is  he. 

“Handleth  wisely,”  translates  a Hebrew  word  which  means 
simply  to  consider  attentively,  wisely,  intelligently.  “Matter”  re 
presents  the  very  common  Hebrew  term  for  word , which  may,  how- 
ever, bear  the  sense  of  thing.  Hence  we  may  choose  between 
referring  it  to  God’s  revealed  word,  or  to  things  in  general  that  are 
proper  subjects  of  consideration.  Probably  the  latter  sense  should 
be  taken,  the  proverb  commending  serious,  careful  thought  on  all 
important  subjects.  Blessed  are  they  who  add  to  such  diligent 
consideration  a real  and  hearty  trust  in  the  Lord. 

21.  The  wise  in  heart  shall  be  called  prudent : and  the 
sweetness  of  the  lips  increaseth  learning. 

The  original  word  forbids  our  taking  “prudent”  in  the  sense 
primarily  of  cautious,  safe  against  indiscretions;  and  requires  the 

sense,  intelligent,  discerning. “ Shall  be  called,”  according  to 

the  common  Hebrew  idiom,  means  shall  really  be  so,  and  not 
merely,  shall  be  so  reputed  and  spoken  of.  The  distinction  is  that 

between  character  and  reputation. “ Sweetness  of  lips,”  signifies 

pleasant  words  and  an  agreeable  manner  of  speaking.  Such  sweet- 
ness gives  the  teacher  a special  charm,  and  augments  his  teaching 
power  so  that  he  actually  teaches  not  only  better  but  more  thereby. 


112 


PROVERBS  - CHAP.  XVI. 


22.  Understanding  is  a well-spring  of  life  unto  him  that 
hath  it : but  the  instruction  of  fools  is  folly. 

See  a similar  use  of  the  figure  “ a fountain  of  life,”  in  13  : 14  and 
14 : 27.  Such  a source  of  rich  and  permanent  good  is  the  human 
intelligence,  the  possession  of  a mind  capable  of  apprehending  and 
appreciating  truth,  especially  the  great  moral  truths  which  relate 

to  God  and  duty. In  the  last  clause,  the  word  for  “ instruction” 

often  has  the  sense  of  correction,  chastisement.  So  taken,  it  means : 
Their  own  folly  is  the  chastisement,  the  scourge  of  fools.  The 
proverb  would  then  put  in  contrast  the  life-fountain  of  good  which 
the  one  has  in  his  intelligence  and  knowledge,  against  the  source 
of  self-scourging  and  torment  which  the  other  has  in  his  folly. 
Thus  the  proverb  may  refer  to  wisdom  and  folly  in  their  bearing 
upon  their  possessors.  It  may,  however,  refer  to  their  respective 
influence  on  others.  I favor  the  former. 

23.  The  heart  of  the  wise  teacheth  his  mouth,  and 
addeth  learning  to  his  lips. 

If  the  Hebrew  idiom  corresponded  in  this  point  to  our  own 
English,  I should  find  in  this  proverb  the  sentiment  that  real  be 
nevolence,  good  and  great-heartedness,  helps  the  wise  to  teach  and 
gives  their  lips  augmented  power  of  instructing  others.  But  Sol- 
omon’s usage  of  the  word  u heart”  looks  to  intelligence  rather 
than  benevolence.  Hence  we  must  interpret  this  proverb:  The 
intelligence  of  the  wise  gives  them  useful  truth  for  their  lips  to 
speak  and  makes  their  words  precious  for  the  instruction  of  others. 

24.  Pleasant  words  are  as  a honeycomb,  sweet  to  the  soul, 
and  health  to  the  bones. 

Words  are  made  pleasant  in  many  ways:  (1.)  By  the  charms 
of  imagination;  (2.)  By  their  suggestive  power;  (3.)  By  their 
simplicity;  (4.)  By  becoming  the  vehicle  of  sweet  thoughts  and 
pleasing  emotions ; (5.)  By  the  agreeable  manner  of  speaking  them. 

The  Hebrew  allows  here  a broad  range.  The  proverb  tells 

us  that  the  charm  of  such  words  is  like  the  sweetness  of  honey, 
only  that  this  is  said  to  carry  its  sweetness  both  to  the  soul  and  to 

the  body. The  wise  will  infer  the  desirableness  of  possessing 

this  power  of  pleasant  words. 

25.  There  is  a way  that  seemeth  right  unto  a man ; but 
the  end  thereof  are  the  ways  of  death. 

See  the  same  in  14:  12. 

26.  He  that  laboreth,  laboreth  for  himself ; for  his  mouth 
craveth  it  of  him. 

The  original  is  in  this  form:  “The  appetite  of  the  laboring  man 
labors  for  him”- — probably  in  the  sense  of  energizing  to  press  him 
to  work  for  its  gratification.  The  impulses  of  appetite  become  a 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVI. 


113 


constant  force  toward  labor — as  said  in  the  last  clause,  “His 
mouth  urges  this  upon  him.”  Man  must  work  because  he  must 
eat. 

27.  An  ungodly  man  diggeth  up  evil : and  in  his  lips 
there  is  as  a burning  fire. 

As  digging  a pit  was  one  way  to  ensnare  wild  animals,  it  came 
to  be  used  in  the  sense  of  laying  snares  and  plotting  mischief  in 
general.  The  ungodly  man  [“man  of  Belial,”  Heb.]  loved  and 
manufactured  mischief  That  there  was  a burning  fire  on  his  lips 
betokens  slander — malign,  satanic  slander — as  if  every  word  were 
hot  shot,  or  a poisoned  arrow  for  the  bosom  of  friend  or  foe,  almost 
without  discrimination.  Of  such  sin,  what  language,  what  figures 
of  speech  can  over-paint  its  vileness ! 

28.  A fro  ward  man  soweth  strife : and  a whisperer  sep- 
arateth  chief  friends. 

While  in  this  collection  (chap.  10-22:  16),  each  proverb  is  a 
complete  truth  of  itself,  and  not  dependent  on  any  other,  yet  we 
often  have  several  in  succession  relating  to  the  same  subject. 

Here  we  have  a series  upon  sins  of  the  tongue. This  declares 

that  a man  of  perverseness  scatters  abroad  strifes,  sowing  the 
seeds  of  discord.  A tattler  separates  the  best  of  friends. 

29.  A violent  man  enticeth  his  neighbor,  and  leadeth 
him  into  the  way  that  is  not  good. 

“Violence”  [Heb.]  contemplates  assaults  upon  human  life. 
(See  Gen.  6:  11,  13.)  In  this  proverb,  Solomon  seems  to  have  his 
eye  on  those  robbing  and  murdering  practices  referred  to  in  chap. 

1:  10-18.  The  “enticing”  appears  there  as  here. The  way 

“not  good”  is  a way  superlatively  bad. 

30.  He  shutteth  his  eyes  to  devise  fro  ward  things : mov- 
ing his  lips  he  bringeth  evil  to  pass. 

This  proverb  seems  to  set  forth  the  intense  feeling  with  which 
the  wicked  sometimes  project  and  prosecute  their  malign  schemes. 
He  shuts  his  eyes  in  order  to  think  the  harder  and  to  plot  the 
more  deeply ; he  bites  his  lips  under  his  burning  emotions.  So  he 
accomplishes  his  cherished  mischief. 

31.  The  hoary  head  is  a crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in 
the  way  of  righteousness. 

Solomon  does  not  say  “ if  it  be  found,”  etc.,  though  he  may 
perhaps  imply  it.  Literally,  I translate : “A  crown  of  glory  is  the 
hoary  head;  in  the  way  of  righteousness  it  will  be  found.”  It  is 
certainly  supposable  that  the  sense  may  be:  Old  age  is  prima 
facie  evidence  of  a virtuous  life.  In  Solomon’s  time,  wicked  men 
did  not  live  out  half  their  days ; he  who  honored  father  and  mother 
lived  long  upon  the  land  God  had  given  his  people.  But  whether 


114 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVII. 


the  proverb  should  take  this  turn  or  not,  it  certainly  means  all 
that  our  English  version  expresses.  It  is  a glory  to  have  lived  a 

long  life,  be  it  only  a virtuous  and  a useful  one. Our  age  of 

the  world  has  some  hoary  sinners ; a sadder  class  of  men,  and 
one  more  to  be  pitied  live  not  on  the  face  of  the  earth ! To  have 
outlived  almost  every  form  of  sensual  enjoyment;  to  have  worn 
out  body  and  soul  in  sin;  to  have  nothing  in  the  past  that  mem- 
ory can  recall  with  pleasure,  and  nothing  in  the  future  that  can 
be  thought  of  intelligently  without  shuddering  horror;  how  does 
the  realization  of  such  an  old  age  agonize  and  appall  us ! 

32.  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty ; 
and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh  a city. 

Noble  sentiments  are  these!  The  man  who  is  slow  to  anger  is 
greater  than  the  hero : he  who  thoroughly  rules  himself,  than  he 
who  conquers  a city.  Man  has  no  capacity  for  power  more  noble 
than  that  by  which  he  holds  every  passion  in  due  self-control ; no 
ruling  is  greater  or  better  than  self-ruling.  Let  us  emulate  such 
glory" I 

33.  The  lot  is  cast  into  the  lap ; but  the  whole  disposing 
thereof  is  of  the  Lord. 

This  is  obviously  the  sacred  lot — a method  of  appealing  to  God 
for  his  decision.  The  reader  may  see  cases  of  this  in  Lev.  16 : 8-10, 
in  the  choice  between  the  two  goats  on  the  great  day  of  atonement ; 
in  Josh.  15-19,  for  the  division  of  Canaan  among  the  tribes;  in 
1 Chron.  24:  5,  7,  in  the  assignment  of  special  duties  among  the 
priests.  It  must  not  be  inferred  that  this  appeal  to  God  can  be 
properly  made  without  special  direction  from  himself.  Such  di- 
rection preceded  its  use  in  the  cases  referred  to.  It  can  not  be 
well  to  presume  upon  God’s  interposition  to  express  his  will  by  the 
lot  unless  he  has  authorized  it  in  the  special  case. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

1.  Better  is  a dry  morsel,  and  quietness  therewith,  than 
a house  full  of  sacrifices  with  strife. 

Essentially  the  same  sentiment  appears  in  15  : 17. The  word 

for  “quietness”  has  the  broad  sense  of  peace  as  opposed  to  strife 

and  as  the  fruit  of  love. One  class  of  sacrifices,  the  peace- 

offerings,  were  chiefly  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the  offerer  and 
his  friends  as  a sort  of  thanksgiving  feast.  See  the  allusions  to 
this  custom  in  7 : 14 ; also  in  Ps.  22 : 25,  26.  But  the  word  here 
used  may  have  a wider  application,  even  to  slaughtered  animals 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVII. 


115 


in  general.  The  Orientals  esteemed  flesh  as  the  richest  of  food. 

But  a dry  crust  with  peace  and  love  is  better  than  a house 

full  of  fatlings  to  be  eaten  amid  strifes  and  heart-aches  and  bit- 
terness of  soul.  Think  of  a family  quarrel  over  a thanksgiving 
feast!  Who  would  not  sooner  have  the  driest  crust  with  only  the 
poorest  water  to  moisten  it?  The  joy  of  the  heart  is  indefinitely 
more  and  better  than  the  joy  of  the  palate ! 

2.  A wise  servant  shall  have  rule  over  a son  that  causeth 
shame,  and  shall  have  part  of  the  inheritance  among  the 
brethren. 

A “ son  that  causeth  shame  ” in  the  eye  of  Solomon  is  the  indo- 
lent, thriftless  son  (see  10:  15),  or  the  reckless  spendthrift  who 
wastes  his  father  s estate  and  drives  his  mother  from  the  ancestral 
home  (19 : 26).  Fitly  he  puts  the  wise  servant  above  such  a son. 
It  reversed  the  laws  of  Hebrew  society  for  a servant  to  bear  rule 
over  the  son — the  ruling  of  the  house  and  the  rights  of  power 
under  the  patriarchal  regime  naturally  descending  from  father  to 

son.  So  also  did  the  inheritance  of  the  estate. A wholesome 

moral  lesson  is  here  for  the  wayward  sons  in  Israel,  and  not  less 
so  for  wayward  sons  in  all  ages.  Let  them  see  to  it  that  in  point 
of  dignity  and  power  they  fall  not  below  even  the  servants  or  the 
slaves  of  the  household. 

3.  The  fining  pot  is  for  silver,  and  the  furnace  for  gold  : 
but  the  Lord  trieth  the  hearts. 

The  skill  of  man  finds  out  the  agents  and  invents  the  processes 
for  proving  and  purifying  gold  and  silver:  the  Lord  does  the  same 
thing  as  to  human  hearts.  How  can  the  dross  of  sin  abide  the 
ordeal  of  his  furnace  and  of  his  fires ! 

4.  A wicked  doer  giveth  heed  to  false  lips  ; and  a liar 
giveth  ear  to  a naughty  tongue. 

The  sentiment  of  this  proverb  may  be  that  bad  men  love  to 
drink  in  and  pour  out  slander;  love  to  become  receivers  and  re- 
tailers of  the  falsehoods  that  float  round  in  vile  and  slanderous 
society.  Or  it  may  perhaps  signify  that  wicked  men  are  them- 
selves deceived  by  their  equally  wicked  associates,  and  so  get  a 
part  of  the  penalty  of  their  own  wickedness  by  associating  with 
men  of  like  character.  Either  sense  is  true.  The  former  would 
paint  the  vice  and  the  ways  of  slander;  the  latter  would  look 
toward  one  form  of  retribution  which  God  provides  for  under  the 
laws  of  a sinning  world.  The  latter  view  is  unexceptionable. 

5.  Whoso  mocketh  the  poor  reproacheth  his  Maker : and 
he  that  is  glad  at  calamities  shall  not  be  unpunished. 

If  we  may  suppose  that  the  latter  clause  continues  and  expands 
the  sentiment  of  the  former,  then  the  poor  are  thought  of  as  being 


116 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVII. 


made  so  by  sudden  calamity.  In  this  view  of  the  cause  of  their 
poverty,  it  would  be  specially  reproachful  to  their  Maker  to  mock 
their  sufferings,  since  it  would  virtually  assume  that  the  great 
Father,  so  far  from  sending  upon  them  affliction  for  their  higher 
good,  had  sent  it  only  as  a visitation  of  his  wrath — only  to  hold 
them  up  to  the  scorn  of  mankind.  What  a scandal  would  this 
be  upon  the  Infinite  Father! The  men  who  fall  under  his  chas- 

tising rod  should  surely  in  their  day  of  purifying  trial  receive  from 
us  our  prayerful  sympathy  and  not  our  haughty  scorn.  Let  us 
recall  those  words  of  Job  [19:  21];  “Have  pity  upon  me,  have 
pity  upon  me,  0 my  friends;  for  the  hand  of  God  hath  touched 
me.” 

6.  Children’s  children  are  the  crown  of  old  men  ; and  the 
glory  of  children  are  their  fathers. 

Virtuous  grandsons  are  a crown  of  honor  to  the  aged ; so  also 
are  worthy  fathers  to  their  children.  The  reflection  of  honor  be- 
tween fathers  and  sons  is  reciprocal.  Each  class  therefore  has 
this  high  and  noble  motive  to  a virtuous  life ; the  father,  that  he 
may  be  a glory  to  his  sons:  sons  and  grandsons,  that  they  may 
be  a crown  of  honor  as  well  as  a perpetual  joy  to  their  aged  father. 
Such  sentiments  have  a wholesome  bearing. 

7.  Excellent  speech  becometh  not  a fool : much  less  do 
lying  lips  a prince. 

Choice  words,  a noble  voice  and  impressive  manner  befit  real 
dignity  of  character  and  well  become  the  utterance  of  wisdom; 
but,  alas ! how  unsuitable  are  they  to  the  fool ! So  and  much 
more  are  lying  lips  unfitting  for  the  prince.  Whoever  bears  the 
solemn  responsibility  of  ruling  under  God  should  abjure  all  false- 
hood. 

8.  A gift  is  as  a precious  stone  in  the  eyes  of  him  that 
hath  it:  whithersoever  it  turneth,  it  prospereth. 

The  Hebrew  word  used  here  for  “gift”  is  shochad. 

This  word  appears  in  the  Mosaic  law  (Ex.  23 : 8 and  Deut. 
16:  19) — every-where  a thing  forbidden.  A very  different  word 
(]nn)  mattan,  appears  in  the  proverbs  (18:  16  and  19:  6)  which 

might  seem  to  the  English  reader  to  be  analogous  to  this.  They 
are  not  so.  The  “present”  which  Jacob  sent  forward  to  con- 
ciliate Esau  (Gen.  32:  13)  is  indicated  by  still  another  word  to 

which  no  bad  sense  attaches. In  this  proverb  therefore  we  can 

not  suppose  that  the  great  influence  of  the  bribe  is  adduced  to 
recommend  its  use,  but  rather  to  state  the  fact  for  its  admonitory 
lessons.  It  is  but  too  true  that  a bribe  is  like  a precious  stone — 
a ruby  or  a diamond — in  the  eye  of  him  who  receives  and  retains 
it.  As  the  stone,  turn  it  which  way  you  will,  reflects  a brilliant 
and  beautiful  light,  so  a bribe  unconsciously  dazzles  the  eye,  and 
thus  perverts  first  the  clear  view,  and  then  the  righteous  judgment. 


RROVERBS— CHAP.  XVII. 


117 


9.  He  that  covereth  a transgression  seeketh  love ; but  he 
that  repeateth  a matter  separateth  very  friends. 

Manifestly  the  word  “ cover”  has  here  not  precisely  its  some- 
what usual  Hebrew  sense,  forgive,  but  the  English  sense  of  con- 
ceal, hide  from  view.  It  stands  opposed  to  reporting  a case  over 
and  over.  He  who  thus  conceals  a transgression  promotes  the 
spirit  of  love  toward  the  offender  both  in  his  own  heart  and  in  the 

hearts  of  others. A similar  sentiment  appears  in  10:  12. 

Over  against  this,  he  who  repeats  the  story  of  a wrong  may  sever 
the  warmest  friendships — may  sunder  the  hearts  of  the  best  friends. 

Compare  16:  28. But  let  no  reader  suppose  that  this  proverb 

forbids  all  disclosure  of  others’  wrong  doings,  it  forbids  our 
disclosing  such  wrong  maliciously , or  even  causelessly ; but  by  no 
means  forbids  its  being  done  when  the  greater  good  manifestly 
requires  it,  and  when  therefore  the  law  of  love  to  all  men  de- 
mands it. 

10.  A reproof  entereth  more  into  a wise  man  than  a 
hundred  stripes  into  a fool. 

The  verb  rendered  “ entereth  into  ” may  come  from  either  of 
two  Hebrew  roots ; in  the  one  case  meaning- — Goes  down  into  him 
more  deeply;  in  the  other,  Takes  hold  of  him  more  powerfully. 
The  Masorites  favor  the  latter.  Either  makes  good  sense.  A re- 
proof (in  words  only)  takes  more  effect  upon  a wise  man  than  a 
hundred  floggings  upon  a fool.  This  I take  to  be  the  exact  sense 
of  the  original. 

11.  An  evil  man  seeketh  only^  rebellion  : therefore  a cruel 
messenger  shall  be  sent  against  him. 

The  rebellion  thought  of  here  is  against  the  king  and  the  gov- 
ernment. Against  a man  radically  bad  whose  aim  is  only  rebel- 
lion, the  king  sends  his  sternest  messengers  of  iustice.  Why 
should  not  he  ? 

12.  Let  a bear  robbed  of  her  whelps  meet  a man,  rather 
than  a fool  in  his  folly. 

This  proverb  evinces  a keen  sense  of  the  mischiefs  of  folly  and 
of  the  dangers  of  coming  into  contact  with  a fool  when  his  folly 
is  in  full  blast.  Some  of  the  commentators  assume  that  the  fool 
here  is  thought  of  as  maddened  by  his  angry  and  revengeful  pas- 
sions— which  is  at  least  probable. 

13.  Whoso  rewardeth  evil  for  good,  evil  shall  not  depart 
from  his  house. 

“Returning  evil  for  good”  is  such  an  outrage  upon  all  right- 
eousness and  even  upon  common  morality  that  God  will  take  the 
case  in  hand  and  punish  the  man  who  does  it  not  only  in  his  own 


118 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVII. 


person  but  in  his  children  after  him,  onward  and  onward  indefi- 
nitely. The  sentence,  “Evil  shall  not  depart  from  his  house,” 
dooms  his  offspring  to  an  inheritance  of  calamity. 

14.  The  beginning  of  strife  is  as  when  one  letteth  out 
water : therefore  leave  off  contention,  before  it  be  meddled 
with. 

A dam,  embankment,  dike,  or  levee,  raised  to  confine  the  waters 
of  a river  or  of  the  ocean  in  their  bed,  afford  this  very  apposite 
illustration  of  the  dangers  attendant  upon  the  beginnings  of  con- 
tention. As  a pin-hole — the  slightest  leak  in  the  earth-bank — 
rapidly  wears  itself  to  a perilous  size,  and  the  mighty  torrent  can 
be  stayed  by  no  human  power,  so  a slight  disagreement — one 
sharp  word — one  angry  retort — may  fire  up  fierce  passion  to 
fearful  madness.  Therefore  leave  off  that  strife  before  it  gets 
under  headway — rolling  itself  violently  along — the  precise  sense 
of  the  original. 

15.  He  that  justifieth  the  wicked,  and  he  that  con- 
demneth  the  just,  even  they  both  are  abomination  to  the 
Lord. 

As  God’s  glorious  nature  and  his  infinitely  just  administration 
hold  him  to  condemn  the  wicked  and  to  justify  the  righteous,  he 
must  instinctively  abhor  those  who  seek  to  reverse  his  policy  and 
frustrate  his  aims  of  justice.  Why  should  not  he  both  abhor 
them  with  the  utmost  ardor  of  his  holy  soul,  and  withstand  them 
with  the  full  energy  of  his  almighty  arm  ? 

16.  Wherefore  is  there  a price  in  the  hand  of  a fool  tc 
get  wisdom,  seeing  he  hath  no  heart  to  it  f 

The  fool  with  no  heart  to  buy  wisdom  is  not  the  idiot ; is  not  even 
the  half-idiotic,  as  some  of  the  commentators  assume.  “ Heart”  in 
such  a connection  is  not  synonymous  with  intellect.  The  quality 
which  this  fool  hath  not  is  far  more  that  of  his  moral  nature 
than  of  his  intellectual.  So  1 must  think,  my  views  being  deter- 
mined both  by  such  usage  as  I find  in  Prov.  7 : 7 and  9 : 4 and  10 : 
13 — passages  which  treat  of  the  lack  of  heart  as  this  does — and 
partly  by  the  nature  and  right  of  the  case.  It  would  be  utterly 
foreign  to  the  genius  of  this  book  of  proverbs  for  the  writer  to 
deplore  the  waste  of  money  and  means  for  the  purchase  of  wis- 
dom because  so  many  of  the  race  were  semi-idiotic ! No ; it  is 
not  for  the  lack  of  brains  but  for  the  lack  of  a morally  right 
heart  that  such  multitudes  never  pay  out  the  money  God  has  put 
into  their  hands  for  the  genuine  article,  heavenly  wisdom.  This 
fact  may  well  be  for  a lamentation  and  a marvel ! 

17.  A friend  loveth  at  all  times,  and  a brother  is  born 
for  adversity. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVII. 


119 


The  love  of  a true  friend  is  constant  through  all  the  changes 
of  time  and  circumstance.  A true  brother  is  born  to  you  for 
your  aid  in  the  day  of  adversity.  You  will  need  and  may  rely 
on  him  then. 

18.  A man  void  of  understanding  striketh  hands,  and 
becometh  surety  in  the  presence  of  his  friend. 

The  author  has  previously  given  his  views  of  suretyship  for 
others  lebts.  (See  6:  1-5  and  11:  15.)  In  saying  that  a man 
void  of  understanding  will  do  this  he  means  to  hint  that  no  other 
man  will — none  but  he  who  lacks  discretion  and  good  sense. 

19.  He  loveth  transgression  that  loveth  strife : and  he 
that  exalteth  his  gate  seeketh  destruction. 

To  love  strife  is  practically  to  love  the  sin  to  which  it  leads 

and  which  inevitably  ensues  from  it. Building  the  gates  of 

one’s  palace  very  high  evinces  pride,  provokes  envy,  and  precipi- 
tates ruin.  As  a very  high  gate  is  dangerously  exposed  to  a 
sudden  and  crashing  fall,  so  the  pride  which  it  represents  works 
in  a thousand  ways  to  bring  down  destruction.  To  connect  the 
last  clause  with  the  first,  we  have  only  to  consider  that  such 
manifestations  of  pride  naturally  provoke  contention  and  hence 

also  the  sin  and  ruin  which  ensue. That  men  of  rank  in  the 

oriental  world  sought  distinction  by  building  their  gate  high,  ap- 
pears in  the  epithet  given  to  the  monarch  of  Turkey — “ The 
Sublime  Porte” — the  man  of  high  gate  [sublimis  porta]. 

20.  He  that  hath  a froward  heart  fiudeth  no  good  : and 
he  that  hath  a perverse  tongue  falleth  into  mischief. 

11  Findeth  no  good  ” is  one  mode  of  saying,  finds  any  thing  else 

but  good ; finds  evil  in  abundance. A froward  heart  and  a 

perverse  tongue  are  essential  equivalents.  Both  are  ruinous. 

21.  He  that  begetteth  a fool  doeth  it  to  his  sorrow:  and 
the  father  of  a fool  hath  no  joy. 

11  Fool  ” is  here,  as  usual,  in  the  moral  rather  than  the  intellectual 
sense.  The  father  of  such  a son  can  have  only  sorrow,  no  real 
joy,  from  him. 

22.  A merry  heart  doeth  good  like  a medicine:  but  a 
broken  spirit  drieth  the  bones. 

See  similar  sentiments  in  12:  25  and  15  : 13,  15.  “Merry”  is 
joyful.  Joy  of  soul  acts  on  the  body  like  a medicine. 

23.  A wicked  man  taketh  a gift  out  of  the  bosom  to 
pervert  the  ways  of  judgment. 

Here  as  in  verse  8 above,  “gift”  is  the  Hebrew  word  for  bribe 
and  is  used  in  this  sense.  It  is  only  the  wicked  man  who  makes 
use  of  a bribe  to  pervert  the  course  of  justice  by  corrupting  the 
6 


120 


PROVERBS -CHAP.  XVII. 


judge.  He  takes  it  out  of  his  bosom  where  he  has  had  it  con- 
cealed. The  thing  is  done  very  covertly.  Of  course  Solomon 
condemns  this. 

24.  Wisdom  is  before  him  that  hath  understanding : but 
the  eyes  of  a fool  are  in  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

The  wisdom  of  wise  men  is  at  hand,  ready  for  use,  always 
before  'him,  under  his  eye:  but  over  against  this,  the  eyes  of  the 
fool  see  none  of  the  present  facts  of  his  condition — overlook  the 
very  things  he  needs  to  see  in  order  to  judge  well  and  to  act 
discreetly.  What  eyes  he  has  are  in  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
occupied  upon  things  utterly  remote  and  valueless. 

25.  A foolish  son  is  a grief  to  his  father,  and  bitterness 
to  her  that  bare  him. 

The  same  sentiment  appears  in  verse  21,  and  elsewhere. 

26.  Also  to  punish  the  just  is  not  good,  nor  to  strike 
princes  for  equity. 

To  punish  the  just  is  not  good,  but  very  bad.  So  also  to  smite 
princes  for  doing  right — literally,  on  account  of  righteousness , 
which  of  course  means,  because  they  are  righteous.  All  this 
reverses  the  great  law  of  equity. 

27.  He  that  hath  knowledge  spareth  his  words : and  a 
man  of  understanding  is  of  an  excellent  spirit. 

In  the  clause,  u of  an  excellent  spirit,”  the  English  margin 
[“a  cool  spirit”]  follows  the  Plebrew  text  in  preference  to  the 
Hebrew  marginal  reading,  and  is  the  preferable  one,  the  sense 
then  being:  He  who  is  of  cool  spirit,  under  self-control,  of  pas- 
sions not  easily  excited.  I prefer  to  transpose  both  clauses  and 
render  thus:  He  who  spareth  his  words  evinces  good  sense 
[valuable  knowledge],  and  the  man  of  cool,  self-governed  spirit 
is  the  man  of  understanding.  The  author  of  these  proverbs  ac- 
counts much  talk  prima  facie  proof  of  a shallow  mind ; and  on 
the  other  hand,  a prudent  reserve  in  speech  a proof  of  good  sense 
and  a fair  intelligence. 

28.  Even  a fool,  when  he  holdeth  his  peace,  is  counted 
wise  : and  he  that  shutteth  his  lips  is  esteemed  a man  of 
understanding. 

This  proverb  follows  out  the  thought  of  the  next  preceding, 
and  confirms  the  general  doctrine  taught  there.  Even  a fool,  if 
he  had  the  sense  to  hold  his  peace,  might  have  some  reputation 
for  wisdom.  So  strong  are  the  convictions  of  mankind  to  the 
point  that  much  talk  goes  with  little  thought,  and  that  reserve 
in  speech  often  signifies  more  than  average  thinking. 


PROVERBS  -CHAP.  XVIII. 


121 


CHAPTEE  XVIII. 

1.  Through  desire,  a man,  having  separated  himself, 
seeketh  and  intermeddleth  with  all  wisdom. 

On  this  proverb  the  views  of  commentators  have  been  not  only- 
various  but  extremely  diverse.  A few  take  it  in  a good  sense; 
most,  however,  in  a bad.  What  kind  of  a man  the  translators  of 
our  English  version  found  described  here,  it  would  be  hard  to 
say. “He  who  separateth  himself”  [rPDD]  may  be  the  recluse 

who  withdraws  from  all  society;  or,  more  probably,  the  self-con- 
ceited, haughty  man  who  cuts  the  acquaintance  of  the  wise  and 

repels  all  advice  or  suggestion  toward  a better  life. The  first 

thing  affirmed  of  him  is  that  he  intensely  seeks  self-gratification; 
literally  the  phrase  is — 11  seeketh  ardently  for  desire,”  i.  e .,  to  gratify 

his  own  desires. The  next  thing  said  of  him  is  that  he  rushes 

onward  against  all  good  counsel.  The  pivot  word  is  the  one  which 
our  version  translates  “ intermeddleth”  [JJ-JJJV].  Gesenius  translates 

it,  becomes  angry  or  warm  in  strife ; but  Fuerst,  a more  recent 
critic,  gives  it — moves  violently  forward , rolls  himself  along,  reckless 
and  headlong.  The  other  cases  of  its  use  are  in  Prov.  17  : 14,  and 
20 : 3,  where  the  sense  last  named  is  very  pertinent.  “ Leave  off 
contention  before  it  gets  under  furious  headway;”  “ It  is  an  honor 
to  a man  to  cease  from  strife;  but  every  fool  will  dash  headlong,” 
i.  e .,  will  do  the  very  opposite  of  ceasing  from  strife. The  ety- 

mological grounds  of  this  meaning  as  they  appear  in  Fuerst’ s 
Lexicon  can  not  well  be  presented  to  the  English  reader,  but  he 
can  readily  see  that  the  resulting  significance  is  unexceptionably’ 
pertinent  in  all  these  passages. 

2.  A fool  hath  no  delight  in  understanding,  but  that  his 
heart  may  discover  itself. 

“Discover,”  as  usual  in  our  Bibles,  not  in  the  sense  of  finding 

out  for  himself,  but  of  revealing  to  others. Literally  the  last 

clause  would  read — “ a fool  hath  no  delight  in  understanding,  but 
if  his  heart  may  disclose  itself,”  i.  e .,  if  this  can  be  done,  he  likes 
it ; he  loves  to  bring  out  all  he  thinks,  all  he  is.  He  has  not  sense 
enough  to  see  that  he  makes  himself  ridiculous ; but  thinks  his  very 
follies  are  smart,  etc. 

3.  When  the  wicked  cometh,  then  cometh  also  cor  tempt, 
and  with  ignominy  reproach. 

Where  the  wicked  come,  disgrace  will  come,  i.  e .,  will  follow 
them  inseparably ; and  with  disgraceful  conduct  will  come  disgrace 
itself.  The  reputation  will  follow  the  deed  and  the  wicked  man 
will  go  on  accumulating  disgrace,  reproach. 


122 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVIII. 


4.  The  words  of  a man’s  mouth  are  as  deep  waters,  and 
the  wellspring  of  wisdom  as  a flowing  brook. 

“ The  words  of  a mans  mouth  ” — but  not  of  every  man’s  mouth — 
for  the  last  clause  shows  that  he  thinks  only  of  the  wise  man.  His 
words  are  as  deep  waters,  a deep,  capacious  reservoir,  not  easily,  if 
ever,  exhausted.  His  words  have  a savor  of  good  sense  which 
impress  you  as  coming  from  a deep  fountain  of  thought  and  wisdom. 

5.  It  is  not  good  to  accept  the  person  of  the  wicked,  to 
overthrow  the  righteous  in  judgment. 

To  “accept  the  person”  (literally,  to  receive  the  face ) is  to 
regard  the  merely  external  circumstances,  as  opposed  to  regard- 
ing the  essential  right  and  equity  of  the  case.  It  includes  all 
forms  of  personal  favoritism,  whether  on  the  ground  of  sympathy 
with  the  character,  or  of  relationship,  or  the  influence  of  bribes. 
It  was  expressly  and  stringently  forbidden  in  the  Mosaic  law 
(Lev.  19:  15  and  Deut.  1 : 17  and  16:  17).  See  also  Prov.  24:  23. 

This  proverb  may  be  construed  in  two  ways.  (1.)  It  is  not 

good  to  accept  the  person  of  the  wicked ; nor  is  it  good  to  frus- 
trate the  righteous  in  his  effort  for  a just  judgment;  or,  (2.)  It  is 
not  good  to  respect  the  person  of  the  wicked  for  the  purpose  and 
with  the  result  of  frustrating  the  righteous  in  judgment.  The  latter 

is  preferable  because  it  simply  translates  the  text. Such  regard 

to  persons  to  the  extent  of  overthrowing  the  righteous  in  judgment 
must  always  be  a flagrant  sin  before  God,  not  only  because  he 
hates  all  injustice,  but  especially  because  this  form  of  injustice 
frustrates  the  very  provisions  God  has  made  for  securing  justice 
to  those  who  are  both  innocent,  and  powerless  to  assert  and  main- 
tain it.  Civil  government  is  God’s  own  institution,  ordained  for 
this  very  end,  to  secure  justice  to  those  who  need  the  aid  of 
government  for  this  purpose.  To  balk  these  kind  designs  of  the 
Great  Father  by  corrupting  his  own  earthly  tribunals  of  justice 
must,  therefore,  be  an  aggravated,  heinous  offense  against  God—an 
utter  abomination  in  his  sight.  Let  corrupt  rulers  think  of  it ! 
Shall  they  set  themselves  to  frustrate  the  kind  designs  of  the  Great 
God  and  then  think  to  escape  his  wrath ! 

6.  A fool’s  lips  enter  into  contention,  and  his  mouth 
calleth  for  strokes. 

A fool’s  lips  enter  [readily,  naturally]  into  contention.  The 
words  of  his  mouth  provoke  violence ; they  are  such  words  as  call 
for  blows.  Reason : they  are  ill-tempered,  rash,  offensive,  irritat- 
ing, and,  withal,  are  void  of  discretion. 

7.  A fool’s  mouth  is  his  destruction,  and  his  lips  are  the 
snare  of  his  soul. 

This  proverb  is  a corollary,  an  inference  from  the  preceding 
one.  His  rash  words  become  his  destruction.  His  lips  are  a 
snare  to  his  very  life. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVIII. 


123 


8.  The  words  of  the  tale-bearer  are  as  wounds,  and  they 
go  down  into  the*  innermost  parts  of  the  belly. 

The  word  for  “ wounds  ” occurs  only  here  and  in  the  same  prov- 
erb repeated  (26 : 22).  Hence  it  has  been  interpreted  variously. 
Fuerst  gives  it,  “ oracular”  as  the  words  of  an  oracle,  which  were 
spoken  in  whispers,  or  in  low  muttering  tones,  yet  took  hold  pow- 
erfully of  men’s  minds,  and  in  this  sense  went  down  into  the  soul 
to  be  deeply  pondered.  So  of  the  words  of  the  slanderer.  They 
have  entirely  too  much  influence;  take  hold  too  strongly  of  the 
listener’s  mind.  The  analogies  which  this  critic  finds  between 
this  and  kindred  roots  seem  to  favor  this  meaning  strongly.  But 
Gesenius,  Maurer,  and  others,  following  an  Arabic  analogy,  give 
the  word  the  sense  of  sweet-meats,  dainty  morsels,  such  as  men 
swallow  greedily.  This  resulting  sense  is  eminently  simple  and 

pertinent,  which  is  its  strongest  recommendation. The  English 

version,  “ wounds,”  is  not  sustained  by  any  modern  critic. 

9.  He  also  that  is  slothful  in  his  work  is  brother  to  him 
that  is  a great  waster. 

As  bearing  upon  the  accumulation  of  wealth  and  the  comforts 
of  life,  there  is  little  to  choose  between  the  slack  hand  and  the 
wasteful  one.  They  are  near  enough  alike  to  be  brothers.  The 

difference  between  not  getting  and  wasting  is  of  small  account. 

The  Hebrew  phrase  for  “great  waster”  is  expressive — “master  of 
wasting” — as  if  he  had  the  art  to  perfection. 

10.  The  name  of  the  Lord  is  a strong  tower : the  right- 
eous runneth  into  it,  and  is  safe. 

All  the  names  of  God  being  significant  of  his  attributes,  express- 
ing some  of  the  various  qualities  of  his  being  and  character,  the 
phrase,  “ the  name  of  the  Lord,”  differs  not  materially  from  the 
word  Lord  only.  Perhaps  it  originally  implied  that  the  name  was 
used  with  a proper  appreciation  of  what  it  meant.  In  this  proverb 
the  meaning  is  simply  that  the  Lord  himself  is  a strong  tower. 
The  figure  is  military.  Towers,  built  high,  were  a very  effective 
protection  against  the  missile  weapons  of  ancient  warfare.  The 
Hebrew  word  for  “is  safe”  means  is  up  on  high,  and  therefore  out 

of  the  reach  of  darts,  javelins,  or  the  sling-stones  of  war. We  may 

suppose  that  Solomon  had  read  those  beautiful  words  by  his  father 
— “The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  and  my  deliverer;  my 
God,  my  strength,  in  whom  I will  trust ; my  buckler,  and  the  horn 
of  my  salvation,  and  my  high  tower”  (Ps.  18:  2).  So  we  may  also 
suppose  that  Peter  had  both  Solomon  and  David  in  his  eye  when 
(1  Pet.  1:  5)  he  spake  of  Christians  as  “ kept”  (his  was  a military 
word)  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation.” 

11-  The  rich  man’s  wealth  is  his  strong  city,  and  as  an 
high  wall  in  his  own  conceit. 


124 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVIII. 


This  proverb  seems  to  be  located  here  to  show  the  contrast  be- 
tween this  and  the  preceding.  As  the  righteous  man  makes  the 
name  of  the  Lord  his  strong  tower,  so  the  rich  man  regards  his 
wealth  as  his  strong  city  and  high  wall.  It  is  so,  the  proverb  adds, 
not  in  fact  but  in  his  own  conceit.  He  so  regards  it.  Alas,  that 
he  should  so  commonly  esteem  this  “strong  city”  above  that  “high 
tower;”  should  disown  and  discard  the  mighty  Gcd,  and  make 
his  riches  the  object  of  his  supreme  trust!  (See  10:  15.) 

12.  Before  destruction  the  heart  of  man  is  haughty;  and 
before  honor  is  humility. 

This  sentiment  appears  in  16:  18  and  in  15:  33.  Haughtiness 
of  heart  is  followed  swiftly  by  destruction,  and  by  the  same  law 
of  sequence,  honor  follows  true  humility. 

13.  He  that  answereth  a matter  before  he  heareth  it,  it  is 
folly  and  shame  unto  him. 

The  sense  seems  to  be,  Before  he  has  heard  it  thoroughly , heard 
the  whole  of  it  and  given  it  due  attention.  This  case  is  strongly 
put  by  saying,  “ Answers  it  while  yet  he  has  not  heard  it.”  This 
can  never  be  to  a man’s  credit,  but  only  to  his  shame. 

14.  The  spirit  of  a man  will  sustain  his  infirmity ; but  a 
wounded  spirit  who  can  bear? 

“ Infirmity  ” is  thought  of  here  as  that  of  the  body.  A resolute, 
strong  heart  can  bear  up  against  physical  pain ; but  when  the 
heart  itself  is  broken  down,  who  can  bear  it  ? What  remains  to 

bear  up  under  such  suffering? This  proverb  rightly  assumes  the 

absolute  superiority  of  mind  over  matter,  as  tested  by  their  relative 
power  to  endure  suffering.  The  mind  rises  nobly  above  the  ills 
of  the  body;  but  what  can  the  body  do  toward  lifting  man  above 
the  ills  of  a crushed  spirit  ? 

15.  The  heart  of  the  prudent  gettetli  knowledge  ; and 
the  ear  of  the  wise  seeketh  knowledge. 

The  gist  of  this  proverb  I take  to  be  that  the  heart  of  the  dis- 
cerning [“prudent”]  acquires  knowledge  readily,  because  his  ear 
is  always  earnestly  open  to  catch  all  words  of  wisdom.  He  ap- 
propriates all  the  valuable  truth  that  comes  within  his  reach,  and 

puts  himself  in  the  best  attitude  for  reaching  it. Remarkably 

in  the  proverb  (15:  14),  we  have  [in  Hebrew]  the  same  descrip- 
tion of  the  wise  man  as  here  in  the  first  clause,  and  the  same 
things  affirmed  of  him  as  here  in  the  second. 

16.  A man’s  gift  maketh  room  for  him,  and  bringeth 
him  before  great  men. 

The  “gift”  here  is  not  the  bribe  [as  in  17:  8],  but  any  thing 
given , a present  offered  according  to  oriental  custom.  According 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVIII. 


125 


to  the  ancient  usages  of  society,  such  a present  opened  the  way 
for  the  giver  and  conducted  him  into  the  presence  of  great  men. 
The  proverb  should  be  regarded  rather  as  stating  the  fact  than  as 
commending  the  practice,  although  the  practice  does  not  seem  to 
be  condemned. 

17.  He  that  is  first  in  his  own  cause  seemeth  just;  but 
his  neighbor  cometh  and  seareheth  him. 

You  hear  the  first  man  state  his  case ; he  seems  to  have  right  on 
his  side ; but  when  his  neighbor  comes  in  to  reply,  and  to  give  his 
side  of  the  case,  he  searches  out  his  opponent,  canvasses  the  facts, 
and  often  puts  a new  face  upon  the  whole  matter.  The  moral  is, 
therefore,  hear  the  other  side  before  you  judge. 

18.  The  lot  causeth  contentions  to  cease,  and  parteth 
between  the  mighty. 

The  appeal  to  the  lot  to  decide  a contested  question  seems  to 
have  been  common  in  the  age  of  Solomon.  When  the  parties 
agreed  to  submit  their  case  to  such  an  appeal,  it  put  an  end  to  the 
contest  and  parted  the  mightiest  combatants  asunder. 

19.  A brother  offended  is  harder  to  he  won  than  a strong 
city ; and  their  contentions  are  like  the  bars  of  a castle. 

One  remarkable  thing  in  this  proverb  is  that  so  much  is  left  to 
be  supplied.  The  Hebrew  would  read  literally,  UA  brother  alien- 
ated [i.  e .,  in  love  and  confidence]  is  more  than  a strong  city,  and 
contentions  are  like  the  bars  of  a castle;  ” which,  with  our  English 
translators,  I take  to  mean — is  a more  stubborn  thing  to  subdue 
than  a strong  city,  and  their  contentions  are  strong  like  the  bars 
of  a castle.  Quarrels  between  children  of  the  same  father  and 
mother  are  most  difficult  of  all  to  appease. 

20.  A man’s  belly  shall  be  satisfied  with  the  fruit  of  his 
mouth ; and  with  the  increase  of  his  lips  shall  he  be  filled. 

Words  spoken  will  bring  their  proper  retribution.  There  is  an 
income  from  them — a result  of  good  or  ill  according  to  what  they 
are.  As  the  fruit  and  income  from  hand  labor  goes  to  supply  the 
demands  of  the  digestive  organs  and  of  the  animal  frame,  so  the 
lips  also  have  their  income,  i.  <?.,  a just  retribution.  See  kindred 
sentiments  in  12 : 14  and  13 : 2. 

21.  Death  and  life  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue ; and 
they  that  love  it  shall  eat  the  fruit  thereof. 

As  absolute  monarchs  have  the  power  of  life  and  death  over 
their  subjects,  so  has  the  tongue  a life-and-death-power  as  to  its 
possessor.  Its  too  free  use,  especially  its  malicious  use,  may  cost 
him  death;  its  wise  and  discreet  use  will  be  his  life.  They  who 
love  its  too  free  indulgence  must  eat  the  fruit  thereof — a suggestive 


126 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XVIII. 


warning! — -In  an  age  when  all  human  governments  outside  of 
Israel  were  absolute,  all  kings  arbitrary,  all  courts  suspicious,  and 
all  utterances  on  political  matters  were  under  a rigid  espionage, 
proverbs  like  this  would  have  a pertinence  and  a practical  bear- 
ing which  we  but  feebly  apprehend. 

22.  Whoso  findeth  a wife  findeth  a good  thing , and  ob- 
taineth  favor  of  the  Lord. 

The  author  manifestly  recognizes  marriage  as  a divine  institu- 
tion and  naturally  a fountain  of  blessing.  Hence  a wife  is  a 
good — a blessing  from  the  Lord.  (See  19  : 14.)  It  is  remarkable 
that  nearly  the  same  words  are  used  here  of  the  wife  as  are  said 
of  wisdom  in  8 : 3,  5 : “Whoso  findeth  me”  (saith  Wisdom) 

“findeth  life  and  shall  obtain  favor  from  the  Lord.” Some  of 

the  critics  marvel  that  Solomon  did  not  discriminate  enough  to 
say,  “findeth  a good  wife,”  since  they  are  sure  he  must  have 
meant  this  and  this  only.  It  is  indeed  marvelous  that  if  he 
meant  to  say  this  only , he  did  not  say  it  just  as  he  meant  it.  It 
seems  to  me  safe  to  conclude  that  he  meant  to  indorse  marriage 
as  a divine  institution  and  a source  of  blessings  to  the  husband 
whose  concern  it  is  to  find  a wife.  Let  him  always  regard  a wife 
found  as  a favor  obtained  from  the  Lord.  Some  degree  of  mutual 
adaptation  to  each  other  in  age  and  character  are  essential  to 
the  very  purposes  of  married  life  and  may  therefore  be  consid- 
ered as  necessarily  implied  in  the  idea  of  a wife. 

23.  The  poor  useth  entreaties  ; but  the  rich  answereth 
roughly. 

The  poor  speak  imploringly.  Conscious  of  weakness  they  ap- 
peal to  your  compassion.  But  the  rich  man  will  answer  with 
harsh  or  even  contemptuous  words.  He  feels  very  independent, 
and  is  perhaps  irritable  under  the  pressure  of  his  cares;  so  he 
repels  you  with  a hard  and  haughty  bearing — of  all  which  the 

world  is  full  of  living  illustrations. But  let  it  not  be  supposed 

that  this  stands  here  commended  to  any  man’s  imitation. 

24.  A man  that  hath  friends  must  shew  himself  friendly  : 
and  there  is  a friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a brother. 

This  difficult  proverb  has  of  course  been  interpreted  variously. 
All  the  modern  critics  concede  that  the  English  version  is  inad- 
missible, if  we  retain  the  Hebrew  text  with  its  present  punctua- 
tion. Our  translators  erroneously  assumed  that  the  word  for 
“friend,”  and  the  verb  “Show  thyself  friendly,”  were  from  the 

same  root. The  obscurity  of  the  proverb  is  probably  due  in 

part  to  the  paranomasia  between  these  two  words — i.  e.,  a play 
upon  the  similarity  in  their  letters,  consequently  in  their  sound, 
while  their  sense  is  quite  unlike.  It  is  somewhat  as  if  we  should 
say  in  our  tongue — A man  of  [too  many]  companions  will  be 
companionized;  or  rather  (for  the  sense)  victimized . This  is  thA 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIX. 


127 


sense  of  the  first  clause. Comparing  the  first  clause  with  the 

second,  the  original  uses  a very  different  word  for  “friend”  where 
the  English  has  the  same.  The  first  (“he  that  hath  friends”)  may 
be  a bonny  companion,  a hale  fellow,  a very  free  associate  to  live 
upon  you,  to  eat  up  at  once  your  time,  your  morals,  and  your 
estate;  but  the  second  (“there  is  a friend”)  is  the  loving  friend 
who  is  bound  to  you  by  ties  of  pure  and  strong  affection.  He 
will  cleave  to  you  more  than  a brother.  The  sentiment  seems 
to  be  that  too  many  loose  associates  will  work  your  ruin ; but  one 
truly  affectionate  friend  is  worth  more  than  a brother. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

1.  Better  is  the  poor  that  walketh  in  his  integrity,  than 
he  that  is  perverse  in  his  lips,  and  is  a fool. 

The  man  described  in  the  last  clause  [“  perverse  in  his  lips,” 
etc.]  is  probably  assumed  to  be  rich  as  well  as  perverse  of  lips 
and  a fool;  inasmuch  as  the  proverb  (28:  6),  nearly  identical  with 
this  in  other  respects,  substitutes  “rich”  for  “fool.”  Without 
riches  this  man  would  have  nothing  to  recommend  him.  It  would 
be  very  tame  to  compare  a poor  but  upright  man  with  one  who 
was  both  liar  and  fool,  and  say,  that  is  better  than  this. 

2.  Also,  that  the  soul  be  without  knowledge,  it  is  not 
good;  and  he  that  hasteth  with  his  feet  sinneth. 

Knowledge,  in  the  first  clause,  opposed  to  hasting  with  the  feet 
in  the  second,  implies  the  practical  use  of  knowledge,  i.  e .,  discre- 
tion, forethought,  wisdom.  It  is  not  good  that  the  soul  be  void 
of  such  knowledge. The  word  for  “sinneth”  means  etymolog- 

ically to  miss  the  mark;  to  make  a misstep  and  get  a fall — the 
natural  consequence  of  too  much  haste  with  the  feet. 

3.  The  foolishness  of  man  perverteth  his  way : and  his 
heart  fretteth  against  the  Lord. 

I take  the  course  of  thought  to  be  this;  a man’s  folly  perverts 
his  heart;  his  perverse  heart  perverts  his  outward  life  [“way”], 
making  it  rough,  calamitous,  wretched.  Then  he  frets  against  the 
Lord  as  if  He  had  brought  on  these  evils — which  however  are 
really  the  natural  fruit  of  his  own  sins,  or  at  least  mag  be.  Of 
this  human  life  is  full  of  illustrations. 

4.  Wealth  maketh  many  friends;  but  the  poor  is  sepa- 
rated from  his  neighbor. 


128 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIX. 


“ Friend  ” here,  not  in  the  sense  of  the  loving  one  who  sticks 
closer  than  a brother  (18 : 24),  but  in  the  sense  of  companions, 
associates,  who  hang  about  you  to  get  good  from  you  rather  than 
to  do  good  to  you.  Many  such  are  drawn  round  the  rich  man : 
all  such  keep  aloof  from  the  poor.  The  same  Hebrew  word  is 
rendered  “friend”  in  the  first  clause  and  “neighbor”  in  the  sec-, 
ond.  The  same  sort  of  friend  therefore  who  hangs  about  the 
rich  man  finds  no  attraction  in  the  poor.  Indeed  he  feels  a posi- 
tive repulsion;  he  may  have  some  unwelcome  draft  or  call  upm 
him  to  aid  such  a friend  in  his  extreme  need. See  this  senti- 

ment in  other  proverbs,  14 : 20  and  19 : 7. 

5.  A false  witness  shall  not  be  unpunished ; and  he  that 
speaketh  lies  shall  not  escape. 

See  v.  9 below. False  witness,  especially  in  the  solemn  form 

of  judicial  testimony,  God  will  surely  punish.  All  liars  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  burning  lake.  (Rev.  21  : 8.) 

6.  Many  will  entreat  the  favor  of  the  prince : and  every 
man  is  a friend  to  him  that  giveth  gifts. 

“Gifts”  here  are  not  precisely  bribes  but  presents,  after  the 
prevalent  oriental  usage.  This  is  the  same  sort  of  friend  as  in  v. 

4 above,  and  also  in  the  first  clause  of  18:  24. This  proverb 

affirms  a general  fact  in  society,  but  does  not  commend  it  as  an 
example. 

7.  All  the  brethren  of  the  poor  do  hate  him : how  much 
more  do  his  friends  go  far  from  him  ? he  pursueth  them  with 
words,  yet  they  are  wanting  to  him . 

See  14 : 20  and  the  notes  there. This  poor  man  seems  to  be 

one  who  has  seen  better  days  but  has  by  some  means  become 
poor.  Then  even  his  brothers  turn  from  him  as  if  they  hated 
him ; how  much  more  do  his  former  associates  stand  aloof — that 
loose  sort  of  friends  who  seem  true  in  the  sunny  days,  but  show 

themselves  false  in  the  foul. The  last  clause  is  difficult.  The 

most  obvious  construction  of  the  Hebrew  would  make  “ words  ” 
the  direct  object  of  the  verb,  thus:  “He  pursues  words,  but  they 
are  not;”  which  may  mean  that  he  earnestly  follows  up  those 
words  of  kindness  and  implied  promise  which  they  had  given  him 
freely  in  his  prosperous  days ; he  appeals  to  these  friends  to  fulfill 
those  pledges  of  friendship,  and,  by  implication,  of  material  help, 
but  finds  to  his  bitter  disappointment  that  they  are  not;  there  is 
nothing  of  them ; they  fail  him  altogether  and  forever.  Chasing 
after  such  “words”  is  only  a double  aggravation  to  his  poverty. 

8.  He  that  getteth  wisdom  loveth  his  own  soul : he  that 
keepeth  understanding  shall  find  good. 

The  Hebrew  use  of  the  common  word  for  “heart”  is  noticeable 
here:  “He  who  acquireth  a heart  loveth  his  own  soul.”  This 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XIX. 


129 


must  be  a wise  and  understanding  heart,  one  that  welcomes 

moral  truth  and  loves  to  obey  it  in  the  form  of  duty. He  who 

“keeps  understanding,  ” in  the  sense  of  duly  observing  its  moral 
claims,  it  shall  inure  to  his  finding  good ; for  this  is  the  form  of 

statement  in  the  original. As  to  the  mode  of  expression  in  the 

first  clause,  compare  8 : 36.  “ He  that  sinneth  against  me  [wis- 

dom] wrongeth  his  own  soul:  all  that  hate  me  love  death” — in 
the  same  sense  in  which  the  wise  man  “ loves  his  own  soul  ” in 
the  verse  before  us. 

9.  A false  witness  shall  not  be  unpunished,  and  he  that 
speaketh  lies  shall  perish. 

See  verse  5 above.  This  sentiment  is  reiterated  with  extraor- 
dinary frequency  and  fullness  in  these  proverbs. 

10.  Delight  is  not  seemly  for  a fool ; much  less  for  a 
servant  to  have  rule  over  princes. 

The  word  rendered  “delight”  means  delicacies,  luxuries; 
usually  those  of  the  table,  yet  perhaps  not  excluding  those  of 

dress,  equipage,  etc.  These  are  unbecoming  for  the  fool. 

Similar  views  as  to  servants  having  rule  over  princes  appear  in 
Prov.  30:  21,  22,  and  in  Eccl.  10:  5-7.  Solomon  assumes  their 

utter  unfitness  for  the  station  and  for  its  responsibilities. The 

doctrine  of  this  proverb  corresponds  with  Solomon’s  own  example, 
for  no  king  of  his  time  had  ever  associated  royalty  with  external 
splendor  and  luxury  to  a greater  extent  than  he. 

11.  The  discretion  of  a man  deferreth  his  anger:  and 
it  is  his  glory  to  pass  over  a transgression. 

The  thoroughly  wise  man  will  be  long-suffering,  slow  to  anger, 
keeping  his  passions  under  vigorous  self-control.  It  is  his  glory 
to  overlook  and  forgive  offenses. 

12.  The  king’s  wrath  is  as  the  roaring  of  a lion  ; but 
his  favor  is  as  dew  upon  the  grass. 

Similar  sentiments  appear  in  16:  14,  15,  and  in  20:  2. Ab- 

solute power  appears  in  this  comparison  of  the  king  of  men  with 

the  king  of  beasts. “ Dew  upon  the  grass  ” was  in  oriental  life 

a pertinent  and  forcible  symbol  of  whatever  was  most  cheering 
and  refreshing 

13.  A foolish  son  is  the  calamity  of  his  father:  and  the 
contentions  of  a wife  are  a continual  dropping. 

The  long-continued  fall  of  only  single  drops  of  water,  upon  the 
head  for  example,  becomes  in  no  long  time  unendurable  and  even 
fatal  to  life.  When  the  power  of  reaction  is  exhausted,  the  agony 
becomes  fearful.  So  the  contentions  of  a wife,  in  your  home, 
where  you  look  for  rest  and  for  love,  and  feel  that  you  can  not 


130 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIX. 


live  without,  are  of  the  same  unendurable  sort. Whether  Solo- 

mon had  only  heard  of  such  agony  by  the  ear,  or  seen  it  at  a 
distance  from  his  own  hearthstone,  or  whether  he  had  felt  it,  we 
have  no  means  of  certain  knowledge. 

14.  House  and  riches  are  the  inheritance  of  fathers : and 
a prudent  wife  is  from  the  Lord. 

“Prudent”  is  here  in  the  sense  of  wise,  intelligent  to  appre- 
hend the  responsibilities  of  her  position,  and  true  to  her  duty. 
While  houses  and  lands  come  down  from  fathers  to  sons,  such  a 
wife  comes  from  the  Lord.  He  provides  this  choicest  of  social 
blessings  for  the  good  of  the  race  through  well-ordered  families. 
Those  who  believe  this  and  have  faith  in  God’s  universal  provi- 
dence will  of  course  see  the  fitness  of  asking  such  a blessing  from 
the  Lord,  and,  when  received,  of  recognizing  it  through  all  their 
life  as  a gift  from  his  hand. 

15.  Slothfulness  casteth  into  a deep  sleep  ; and  an  idle 
soul  shall  suffer  hunger. 

See  similar  views  of  sloth  in  6 : 9-11.  Sloth  and  excessive 
sleep  are  closely  associated.  Solomon  abhors  sloth  ; holds  that  it 
brings  men  to  want,  and  that  it  ought  to. 

16.  He  that  keepeth  the  commandment  keepeth  his  own  • 
soul ; but  he  that  despiseth  his  ways  shall  die. 

We  may  notice  here  a play  upon  the  word  “keepeth,”  bringing 
out  its  two  different  senses.  He  who  keepeth  God’s  commands  in 
the  sense  of  holding  them  carefully  in  mind  and  constantly  obey- 
ing them,  keepeth  his  own  soul  from  sin  and  from  its  consequent 
ruin  and  death.  Obeying  God’s  commands  is  the  very  opposite 

of  sinning,  and  therefore  saves  one  from  the  loss  of  his  soul. 

But  over  against  this,  “ he  who  despiseth  his  ways  ” in  the  sense 
of  being  reckless  of  his  own  moral  conduct,  thoughtless  and  even 
contemptuously  regardless  of  his  obligations  to  God  and  to  man, 
must  fall  under  the  curse  of  God.  “ The  soul  that  sinneth,  it 
shall  die.” 

17.  He  tbat  hath  pity  upon  the  poor,  lendeth  unto  the 
Lord  ; and  that  which  he  hath  given  will  he  pay  him 
again. 

It  is  assumed  here  that  this  pity  of  the  poor  does  not  expend 
itself  in  mere  emotion,  but  yields  the  genuine  fruits  of  substan- 
tial help  according  to  our  ability  and  their  need.  He  who  gives 
to  the  poor  in  the  spirit  of  such  true  pity  virtually  lends  to  the 
Lord  upon  the  Lord’s  promise  to  repay  in  his  own  due  and 
best  time.  The  Hebrew  has  it — His  recompense  the  Lord  will 

make  good  to  him. What  an  investment  this  must  be!  Do  we 

believe  in  the  plighted  word  of  the  Most  High  ? Have  we  confi- 
dence in  his  resources  to  pay  and  in  his  wisdom  to  make  the 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  XIX. 


131 


payment  in  the  best  possible  time  and  manner  ? If  so,  then  here 
is  an  opportunity  for  investing  which  ought  to  be  regarded  as 
amply  secure  and  eminently  satisfactory. 

18*  Chasten  thy  son  while  there  is  hope,  and  let  not  thy 
soul  spare  for  his  crying. 

In  the  first  clause  the  original  words  more  often  and  more 

naturally  mean  ufor  there  is  hope/’  than  “ while  there  is,”  etc. 

In  the  last  clause,  if  we  accept  the  Hebrew  text  as  it  stands, 
we  must  reject  the  received  translation — “ Let  not  thy  soul  spare 
for  his  crying.”  The  primary  and  proper  sense  of  the  Hebrew 
word  is,  “And  thou  shalt  not  lift  up  thy  soul  to  cause  his  death." 
This  last  verb  which  I have  translated — “ To  cause  his  death,” 
seems  to  admit  no  other  sense.  No  word  in  the  language  has  a 
more  certain  meaning,  [hid].  The  other  Hebrew  words  are 
used  somewhat  frequently  and  in  a well-established  sense,  e.  g ., 
the  verb  ; the  noun  [OTp] ; and  the  preposition  [btf]. 

This  usage  may  be  seen  in  Deut.  24:  15 — the  laborer,  lifting  up 
his  soul  to  his  wages,  i.  e .,  setting  his  heart  upon  them;  Hos.  4:  8 — 
the  wicked  lifting  up  their  soul  to  the  iniquities  of  God’s  people, 
i.  e.,  setting  their  heart  upon  them;  Jer.  22:  27,  said  of  the  exile 
with  reference  to  his  fatherland,  “ To  the  land  whereunto  they 
lift  up  their  soul  to  return;  and  Ps.  25:  1,  “To  the  Lord  do  I lift 
up  my  soul,  etc.;  and  Ps.  24:  4,  the  good  man  has  not  “lifted 
up  his  soul  to  vanity.”  These  cases  unite  in  the  one  idea  of 
setting  the  heart  upon  an  object  of  desire.  But  it  will  be  asked : 
How  can  we  suppose  that  a father  deems  it  an  object  of  desire  to 

take  the  life  of  his  son  ? 1 can  give  no  other  explanation  of 

the  passage  than  to  take  it  as  a caution  against  the  excitement  of 
sudden  passion,  kindled,  perhaps,  to  exasperation  by  insult  or 
violent  resistance.  Let  the  father  beware  that  he  do  not  abuse  his 
absolute  power ! 

The  translators  of  the  English  version  apparently  assumed 
another  root  [non]  for  their  rendering — “liis  crying.”  But  if 

our  Hebrew  text  is  correct,  this  derivation  is  grammatically  im- 
possible.  See  other  proverbs  on  this  subject  (23  : 13,  14)  which 

seem  to  have  had  an  influence  on  our  translators  in  their  version 
of  this  passage. 

19.  A man  of  great  wrath  shall  suffer  punishment : for 
if  thou  deliver  him , yet  thou  must  do  it  again. 

The  man  of  great  wrath,  i.  e.,  greatly  given  to  violent  passion, 
must  suffer  punishment,  for  though  you  might  deliver  him  once, 
his  passion  will  plunge  him  into  violence  again,  so  that  you  may 
as  well  despair  of  shielding  him  permanently. 

20.  Hear  counsel,  and  receive  instruction,  that  thou 
mayest  be  wise  in  thy  latter  end. 


132 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIX. 


Keep  thine  ear  open  to  the  counsels  of  wisdom  so  that,  if  not 
wise  now,  thou  mayest  become  so  in  thy  future  years  and  may  die 
a wise  man. 

21.  There  are  many  devices  in  a man’s  heart;  neverthe- 
less the  counsel  of  the  Lord,  that  shall  stand. 

The  word  for  “ devices  ” is  most  often  used  in  the  bad  sense. 
Men  have  many  such,  and  the  proverb  implies  that  they  are  wont 
to  fail.  The  plans  of  men  are  often  abortive ; the  plans  of  God, 
never. 

22.  The  desire  of  a man  is  life  kindness  : and  a poor  man 
is  better  than  a liar. 

The  charm  [“  desire”]  of  a man  in  humble  life  is  his  kindness; 
the  poor  is  better  than  a man  who  is  in  high  life,  but  is  a liar. 
In  this  translation  I have  given  their  special  shades  of  mean- 
ing to  the  two  different  words  for  “man,”  which  occur  here  in 
the  Hebrew;  the  first  [DTK]  meaning  man  as  frail,  low,  in 

humble  life ; and  the  second  [$’  N]  man  as  noble,  in  high  life, 
and,  probably,  rich.  I do  not  find  this  speciality  of  meaning  in 
this  proverb  alluded  to  in  any  commentator,  but  since  it  is  an 
admitted  Hebrew  usage  and  gives  more  point  to  this  proverb,  I do 
not  hesitate  to  suggest  it.  (See  this  special  usage  Ps.  62 : 9,  and 

69:  3,  and  Isa.  2:  9 and  5 : 15.) The  proverb  looks  apparently 

to  the  value  of  these  two  men  as  related  to  the  afflictions  and  wants 
of  their  suffering  neighbors.  The  charm  of  the  poor  man’s  kind 
words  and  spirit  (he  having  nothing  else  to  give)  is  worth  more 
than  the  fairest  promises  of  the  rich  man  who  fails  to  perform 
them  with  ample  means  to  do  so. 

23.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  tendeth  to  life : and  he  that  hath 
it  shall  abide  satisfied ; he  shall  not  be  visited  with  evil. 

The  fear  of  the  Lord  [true  piety]  is  unto  life;  not  only  tends 
toward  life,  but  surely  works  out  this  result.  He  shall  pass  the 
whole  night  satisfied — a beautiful  way  of  saying  that  his  peace 
of  soul  shall  be  constant.  The  visitations  of  judgment  on  the 
wicked  shall  not  touch  him. 

24.  A slothful  man  hideth  his  hand  in  his  bosom,  and 
will  not  so  much  as  bring  it  to  his  mouth  again. 

Not  “bosom,”  but  “ dish ,”  the  common  receptacle  for  the  food 
upon  the  table.  The  orientals  made  use  of  no  knife,  fork,  or 
spoon;  only  fingers.  Hence  such  allusions  as  that  in  Matt.  26  : 23 : 
“ He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,”  and  hence  the 
special  propriety  of  washing  hands  both  before  dinner  and  after. 

This  sluggard  is  supposed  to  be  hungry ; but  having  plunged 

his  hand  all  over  [hiding  it]  in  the  dish,  as  if  to  economize  labor 
to  the  utmost,  he  still  finds  himself  too  lazy  to  bring  it  back  to  his 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XIX. 


133 


mouth  again!  This  is  strongly  put,  purposely  to  make  the  slug- 
gard appear  ridiculous,  revolting.  Too  lazy  to  eat ! 

25.  Smite  a scorner,  and  the  simple  will  beware  : and 
reprove  one  that  hath  understanding,  and  he  will  under- 
stand knowledge. 

The  simple  is  here  not  in  the  bad  sense  of  one  easily  seduced  into 

sin,  but  in  the  good  sense  of  being  open  to  good  impressions. 

If  you  smite  a scorner  [corporeally],  though  you  may  fail  to  do 
him  good,  yet  the  simple  will  profit  by  the  example.  Reproof 
alone  will  suffice  for  those  who  are  truly  discerning.  They  will 
grow  wiser  thereby. 

26.  He  that  wasteth  his  father,  and  chaseth  away  his 
mother,  is  a son  that  causeth  shame,  and  bringeth  reproach. 

He  who  wasteth  his  father’s  estate  by  his  prodigal  life  and 
drives  his  mother  from  her  home,  either  by  abuse  or  by  sacrificing 
and  wasting  the  very  home  itself,  is  truly  a son  who  brings  dis- 
grace on  himself,  not  to  say,  on  the  whole  family. 

27.  Cease,  my  son,  to  hear  the  instruction  that  causeth  to 
err  from  the  words  of  knowledge. 

Never  listen,  my  son,  to  any  counsel  that  would  influence  you 
to  turn  aside  from  the  words  of  knowledge  to  go  into  ways  of  error, 
folly,  and  shame. 

28.  An  ungodly  witness  scorneth  judgment:  and  the 
mouth  of  the  wicked  devoureth  iniquity. 

“A  witness  of  Belial,”  at  heart  a bad  man,  scorns  justice ; has 
not  the  least  regard  to  it.  The  mouth  of  the  wicked  swallows 
down  iniquity  greedily  as  one  who  loves  it.  See  the  same  figure 
in  Job  15:  16  : “Man  who  drinketh  in  iniquity  like  water.” 

29.  Judgments  are  prepared  for  scorners,  and  stripes  for 
the  back  of  fools. 

Penalties  and  the  scourge  are  for  those  whom  no  counsel  can 
reach  to  reclaim.  The  man  who  repels  all  good  advice,  scorning 
the  good  friends  who  seek  to  save  him,  and  even  the  Great  Father 
above — what  else  remains,  befitting  his  case,  but  judgments  ? If 
these  fail  to  save  him,  he  is  past  being  saved.  The  example  of  his 
punishment  will  be  wholesome  to  society,  wholesome  to  the  moral 

universe. Fools  and  scorners  in  the  sense  of  the  proverb  are  of 

the  same  class  ; indeed,  we  may  say  these  are  only  different  names 
for  the  same  sinner.  The  proverb  may  be  taken  to  mean  not  only 
that  such  punishments  await  them,  but  that  such  and  nothing  less 
or  other,  are  the  law  of  the  moral  universe,  and  the  only  righteous 
policy. 


134 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XX. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

1.  Wine  is  a mocker,  strong  drink  is  raging  : and  who* 
soever  is  deceived  thereby  is  not  wise. 

What  is  called  “strong  drink”  was  made,  according  tc 

various  ancient  authorities,  from  wheat,  from  barley,  dates,  and 
other  fruits,  or  from  honey,  and  was  sometimes  mixed  with  spices 
to  make  it  more  intoxicating.  It  seems  not  to  have  been  called 
by  our  translators  “ strong  ” relatively  to  wine,  but  to  other  com- 
mon drinks.  Like  wine  it  was  intoxicating. The  thing  affirmed 

here  is  that  wine  robs  a man  of  his  sense  of  propriety  and  makes 
him  abusive  and  insulting  to  others.  Strong  drink  makes  him 
boisterous,  noisy,  sometimes  raging  like  a madman.  Whoever 
reels,  staggers,  under  their  intoxicating  power,  will  not  become 
wise  [this  verb  being  future].  The  use  of  either  wine  or  strong 
drink  will  shut  off  all  hope  of  attaining  true  wisdom.  For  this 
acquisition,  a calm,  self-poised,  considerate  state  of  mind  is  indis- 
pensable. The  maddening  power  of  strong  drink  is  fatal. 

“Deceived”  seems  not  to  be  the  precise  sense  of  the  original 
word  [n  y*5p.  This  verb  always  means  to  waver,  wander,  to  miss 

one’s  mark,  to  reel,  etc. 

2.  The  fear  of  a king  is  as  the  roaring  of  a lion : whoso 
provoketh  him  to  anger  sinneth  against  his  own  soul. 

The  fear  which  the  king  inspires  is  like  that  produced  by  the 
roaring  of  the  lion.  He  who  irritates  the  king  by  himself  becom- 
ing excited,  overbearing,  abusive,  makes  a fatal  mistake,  makes 
a miss  that  will  reach  his  very  life.  The  Hebrew  words  seem  to 
involve  these  ideas.  Compare  19:  12  and  16:  14. 

3.  It  is  an  honor  for  a man  to  cease  from  strife  : but  every 
fool  will  be  meddling. 

“ Meddling  ” is  far  short  of  the  full  sense,  which  is,  Will  rusl 
on  violently  and  madly  in  strife,  rolling  himself  over  and  over, 
plunging  on  headlong.  The  same  verb  occurs  in  this  strong  sense. 
17:  14  and  18:  1. 

4.  The  sluggard  will  not  plow  by  reason  of  the  cold  : 
therefore  shall  he  beg  in  harvest,  and  have  nothing. 

In  the  climate  of  'Palestine  plowing  and  seed-sowing  are  late 
in  autumn  and  in  early  winter.  Hence  the  sluggard  would  ex- 
cuse himself  because  of  the  cold.  In  the  harvest-time  he  will 
beg  for  bread  and  get  none. 

5.  Counsel  in  the  heart  of  man  is  like  deep  water;  but 
a man  of  understanding  will  draw  it  out. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XX. 


135 


The  wisdom  that  yields  useful  counsel  is  deep  in  die  heart  like 
the  waters  of  a well.  The  discerning  man  will  see  it  there  and 
will  have  the  skill  to  draw  it  out. 

6.  Most  men  will  proclaim  every  one  his  own  goodness ; 
out  a faithful  man  who  can  find? 

Almost  every  man  will  publish  and  parade  his  own  goodness  i 
but  the  man  of  faithfulness — true  to  his  professions — is  hard  to 
find. 

7.  The  just  man  walketh  in  his  integrity  : his  children 
are  blessed  after  him. 

This  proverb  may  be  connected  with  the  preceding  as  a sort  of 
answer  to  its  closing  question.  The  just  man  habitually  walks 
in  his  integrity,  with  consequent  blessings  not  upon  himself  alone 
but  upon  his  children  as  well. 

8.  A king  that  sitteth  in  the  throne  of  judgment  scat- 
tered away  all  evil  with  his  eyes. 

See  v.  26.  This  is  what  a wise  and  faithful  king  should  do. 
His  very  look  should  discriminate  the  wicked  from  the  good  and 
drive  away  wickedness  as  a winnowing  wind  does  chaff. 

9.  Who  can  say,  I have  made  my  heart  clean,  I am  pure 
from  my  sin. 

This  must  be  explained  to  mean : Who  can  say  this  appro- 
priately and  truthfully,  and  perhaps  with  some  emphasis  on  the 
word  I as  opposed  to  what  God  and  his  grace  do  for  those  who 
seek  help  of  him.  I see  no  reason  to  suppose  that  Solomon  meant 
to  deny  what  John  (1  Eps.  5:  4)  affirms,  viz.,  that  “this  is  the 
victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith.”  He  seems 
rather  to  speak  of  those  who  boastfully  proclaim  what  they  them- 
selves have  done. 

10.  Divers  weights,  and  divers  measures,  both  of  them 
are  alike  abomination  to  the  Lord. 

“Weights  and  measures”  relate  to  commerce,  being  the  instru- 
ments used  to  determine  quantities.  The  thing  which  God  abhors 
is  not  the  having  of  two  or  more,  but  having  them  unequal,  some 
larger,  some  smaller;  one  set  to  buy  with,  and  another  to  sell 
with.  See  v.  23  below,  and  Deut.  25 : 13—16. 

11.  Even  a child  is  known  by  his  doings,  whether  his 
work  he  pure,  and  whether  it  he  right. 

By  his  doings  the  mere  child  will  show  not  only  what  he  is 
now*  but  what  he  will  become  in  after  life.  Hence  the  importance 
of  studying  his  developments  of  character  closely  at  the  earliest 
possible  period,  that  you  may  forecast  his  future  and  guard  in 
season  against  evils  which,  neglected,  will  become  incurable. 


136 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XX. 


12.  The  hearing  ear,  and  the  seeing  eye,  the  Lord  hath 
made  even  both  of  them. 

That  God  made  the  ear  and  the  eye  is  affirmed  for  the  sake  of 
this  inference,  viz.,  that  he  must  therefore  himself  have  a perfect 
ear  and  eye  to  discern  all  human  deeds  and  even  thoughts.  (See 
Ps.  94:  9.)  “He  that  planted  the  ear,  shall  not  he  hear?  He 
that  formed  the  eye,  shall  not  he  see?” 

13.  Love  not  sleep,  lest  thou  come  to  poverty  : open 
thine  eyes,  and  thou  shalt  be  satisfied  with  bread. 

The  thing  disapproved  here  is  the  sleep  of  the  sluggard  as  in 
6:  9 and  19:  15,  and  not  the  taking  of  sleep  for  wholesome,  need- 
ful rest. 

14.  It  is  naught,  it  is  naught,  saith  the  buyer  : but  when 
he  is  gone  his  way,  then  he  boasteth. 

Thus  the  arts  of  trade  and  the  spirit  of  the  sharper  were  the 
same  in  the  age  of  Solomon  as  in  our  own.  Human  selfishness 
makes  no  progress  (morally)  in  the  ways  of  business,  with  the 
lapse  of  ages. 

15.  There  is  gold,  and  a multitude  of  rubies : but  the 
lips  of  knowledge  are  a precious  jewel. 

A forcible  and  elegant  way  of  saying  that  lips  of  knowledge 
are  precious  and  beautiful  even  as  gold  or  rubies. 

16.  Take  his  garment  that  is  surety  for  a stranger  : and 
take  a pledge  of  him  for  a strange  woman. 

Taking  raiment  for  a pledge  was  by  the  Mosaic  law  put  under 
special  limitations  (Ex.  22:  26,  27),  yet  in  this  extreme  and  very 
questionable  case,  those  limitations  seem  to  be  disregarded.  Take 
for  a pledge  even  the  clothing  of  a man  who  is  so  reckless  as  to 
become  surety  for  a foreigner,  and  if  you  have  business  transac- 
tions with  that  foreigner,  bind  him — this  Israelite,  and  take  his 
responsibility,  not  the  foreigner’s.  Yet  (as  said  in  the  first  clause), 
take  not  his  word  for  security,  but  take  real  property,  for  though 
his  word  may  be  better  than  the  foreigner’s,  you  do  well  not  to 
trust  any  thing  but  his  garment. In  this  last  clause  if  we  fol- 

low the  Hebrew  text  and  not  the  Hebrew  margin  the  noun  for 
foreigner  [“strange”]  is  masculine  plural  and  not  feminine  sin- 
gular; i.  e .,  it  does  not  speak  of  the  “strange  woman,”  but  of 
foreign  men.  Foreigners,  as  to  the  Jews,  were  aliens  and  heathen 
with  whom,  according  to  the  divine  law,  they  were  to  have  as  little 
intercourse  as  possible. Nearly  the  same  appears  in  27 : 13. 

17.  Bread  of  deceit  is  sweet  to  a man;  but  afterwards 
his  mouth  shall  be  filled  with  gravel. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XX. 


137 


The  bread  obtained  by  deceit  [fraud]  may  be  very  sweet  at 
first;  the  after  part  will  be  as  if  his  mouth  were  filled  with  gravel. 
So  universally,  though  the  first  taste  of  sinful  enjoyment  may  be 
sweet,  it  wrill  be  bitterness  in  the  latter  end. 

18.  Every  purpose  is  established  by  counsel : and  with 
good  advice  make  war. 

Even  the  best  of  plans  need  wisdom  to  carry  them  into  effect; 
and  making  war  should  be  managed  with  the  utmost  caution  and 
good  judgment — the  best  policy  of  all  being  to  let  it  alone! 

19.  He  that  goeth  about  as  a tale-bearer  revealeth  se- 
crets : therefore  meddle  not  with  him  that  flattereth  with 
his  lips. 

All  the  best  modern  critics  make  the  last  clause  essentially 
parallel  with  the  first  by  giving  the  word  rendered  “flattereth” 
the  sense  of  openeih.  Be  not  intimate  with  him  who  carries  his 
mouth  open — who  never  closes  his  lips  to  keep  any  thing  he  knows, 
but  divulges  every  thing.  This  seems  to  be  the  well  established 
sense  of  the  verb. With  the  first  clause,  compare  11 : 13. 

20.  Whoso  curseth  his  father  or  his  mother,  his  lamp 
shall  be  put  out  in  obscure  darkness. 

By  a figure  at  once  truly  beautiful  and  terribly  forcible,  this 
flagrant  sin  against  one’s  father  and  mother  is  threatened  with 
the  most  appalling  punishment.  That  the  lamp  of  one’s  life — the 
only  means  for  one  ray  of  light  and  joy — shall  be  extinguished  in 
the  very  depths  of  darkness,  leaves  this  miserable  victim  the 
wreck  of  ruin  and  despair.  God  will  never  lack  the  requisite 
agencies  to  punish  this  most  unnatural  sin. 

21.  An  inheritance  may  he  gotten  hastily  at  the  begin- 
ning ; but  the  end  thereof  shall  not  be  blessed. 

We  have  two  diverse  readings  in  the  case  of  the  verb  translated, 
“gotten  hastily,”  the  Hebrew  text  giving  the  sense,  An  inheri- 
tance cursed  in  the  beginning  will  not  be  blessed  in  the  end ; but 
the  Hebrew  margin,  followed  by  the  English  version  and  by  many 
able  commentators,  means,  gotten  with  haste)  with  the  implication 
of  injustice  in  the  means  of  its  acquisition.  The  former,  because 
it  is  the  reading  of  the  text,  has  the  higher  authority.  Of  course 
it  assumes  that  this  inheritance  is  cursed  for  good  cause)  i.  e .,  be- 
cause gotten  by  fraud  or  violence.  Hence  the  two  constructions 
are  essentially  one  in  thought. 

22.  Say  not  thou,  I will  recompense  evil;  hut  wait  on  the 
Lord,  and  he  shall  save  thee. 

“Recompense  evil”  I take  to  be  requiting  evil  for  evil  done; 
doing  evil  to  others  for  the  evil  you  suppose  them  to  have  done  tc 


133 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XX. 


you.  The  proverb  entreats  you  not  to  say,  I will  do  this,  not  even 
in  your  most  secret  thought;  but  rather  to  wait  on  the  Lord,  com- 
mitting your  cause  to  him  under  his  promise  that  he  will  save  you. 
This  is  fully  in  harmony  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Scriptures  else- 
where; e.  g .,  Deut.  32:  35,  uTo  me  belongeth  vengeance  and  re- 
compense”— a declaration  which  Paul  uses  with  great  force, 
(Rom.  12:  19) — “ Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil.  Revenge 
not  yourselves,  but  rather  give  place  unto  wrath,  for  it  is  written, 
Vengeance  is  mine;  I will  repay,  saith  the  Lord.”  Also,  Prov. 
24:  29,  and  the  doctrine  of  the  sermon  on  the  mount  (Matt.  5 

39,  44). If  this  precept  were  obeyed  by  half  the  living  world, 

these  obedient  ones  would  have  little  violence  to  fear  from  the 
other  half;  there  would  be  a vast  diminution  in  the  wrongs  in- 
flicted by  man  upon  his  fellows.  Those  who  thus  committed  all 
vengeance  to  God  would  have  a most  precious  experience  of  his 
friendship  and  love;  would  find  their  hearts  drawn  exceedingly 
near  to  him  as  to  an  ever-present  Friend  and  Preserver,  and  would 
have  a double  joy  in  the  victory  gained  over  one  of  the  most  dan- 
gerous passions  of  the  depraved  heart. 

23.  Divers  weights  are  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord  ; 
and  a false  balance  is  not  good. 

Here,  as  in  v.  10,  the  original  for  “ divers  weights,”  is  “a  stone 
and  a stone” — two  or  more  of  different  weight,  to  be  used  for 
fraud  in  trade.  A deceitful  balance  not  good , means  one  utterly 
bad ; not  even  one  good  element  in  it. 

24.  Man’s  goings  are  of  the  Lord  ; how  can  a man  then 
understand  his  own  way? 

The  question  here  lies  between  two  possible  constructions:  (1.) 
ITow  can  a man  know  what  he  should  do  and  ought  to  do?  (2.) 
How  can  he  foreknow  the  circumstances  under  which  he  must 
act,  and  hence,  what  he  will  do  and  its  consequences?  The 
former  is  the  question  of  moral  duty  considered  as  determined  by 
man’s  free  choice;  the  latter  is  simply  the  question  of  the  future, 
considered  as  determined  by  the  providence  of  God — the  force  of 
circumstances  and  events.  Plainly  the  latter  and  not  the  former 
accords  with  the  line  of  thought  here.  Since  the  future  is  in  this 
sense  determined  by  the  Lord,  how  can  he,  frail  man,  foreknow 
it  and  its  results  ? The  Hebrew  avails  itself  of  its  choice  of  terms 
for  man.  The  goings  of  even  the  mighty  man  [*nj]  are  controlled 

of  God  ; how  then  can  man,  weak  and  of  short  vision  [anx]  know 
ivliat  his  own  way  is  to  be? 

25.  It  is  a snare  to  the  man  who  devoureth  that  which  is 
holy,  and  after  vows  to  make  inquiry. 

The  word  rendered  “devour”  means  rather  to  vow  rashly  to 
regard  something  as  holy — to  consecrate  any  thing  to  a holy  use 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XX. 


139 


without  reflection.  The  sentiment  is  that  a man  is  ensnared  by 
making  a vow  thus  without  reflection,  and  postponing  till  after 
his  vow  the  inquiry  whether  he  can  perform  it,  or  whether  it  is 
admissible  to  disregard  it.  (See  Eccl.  5 : 4,  5.) 

26.  A wise  king  scattereth  the  wicked,  and  bringeth  the 
wheel  over  them. 

Solomon  had  previously  spoken  (v.  8)  of  kings  as  winnowing 
out  the  wicked  as  chaff  is  separated  from  the  grain.  Probably 
that  figure  of  the  chaff  suggested  this,  borrowed  from  threshing — 
the  wheel  of  the  heavy  threshing  wain  or  sledge,  drawn  by  cattle 
and  driven  over  the  grain,  a vivid  image  of  the  crushing  down  of 
the  wicked  under  the  penalties  of  violated  law.  History  records 
some  cases  in  which  this  threshing  wain  was  literally  dragged  over 
human  flesh.  (See  2 Sam.  12:  3,  and  1 Chron.  20:  3,  and  Amos 
1 : 3.)  But  as  the  winnowing  in  this  proverb  is  a figure,  so  prob- 
ably is  the  ‘‘wheel.” 

27.  The  spirit  of  man  is  the  candle  of  the  Lord,  search- 
ing all  the  inward  parts  of  the  belly. 

The  soul  of  man,  considered  as  having  the  power  of  turning  its 
searching  eye  inward  and  taking  cognizance  of  its  own  moral  states 
and  acts,  is  here  beautifully  compared  to  the  lamp  of  the  Lord, 
going  down  into  the  secret  chambers  of  the  inner  man  to  search 
out  the  dark  things  there.  The  conception  of  the  chambers  of 
the  soul  as  within  the  belly  is  quite  oriental  and  not  occidental  at 
all.  We  must  not  judge  their  tastes  fastidiously,  and  yet  we  need 

not  adopt  them. Let  us  see  in  this  reflexive  power  one  of  the 

noblest  features  of  mans  God-like  nature.  He  can  and  may  know 
himself,  and  therefore  may  prosecute  the  noble  work  of  self-cor- 
rection and  self  culture.  To  know  one’s  faults  or  weaknesses  is 
the  first  step  toward  correcting  them.  A being  made  capable  of 
self-improvement  must  inevitably  have  before  him  a momentous 
destiny.  Given  an  eternity  in  which  to  prosecute  this  work,  who 
can  estimate  the  height  to  which  he  may  rise?  Or  if  he  neglect 
all  effort  for  self-improvement  and  give  himself  up  to  self-murder, 
who  can  conceive  how  low  he  may  sink? 

28.  Mercy  and  truth  preserve  the  king : and  his  throne  is 
upholden  by  mercy. 

These  qualities  of  heart  and  principles  of  regal  administration 
afford  him  the  best  security  for  his  person  and  the  most  solid 
support  for  his  throne,  for  the  twofold  reason  that  they  will  best 
insure  to  him  the  love  and  good-will  of  his  subjects,  and  also  the 
favor  and  blessing  of  the  great  God. 

29.  The  glory  of  young  men  is  their  strength : and  the 
beauty  of  old  men  is  the  gray  head. 

The  last  clause  should  doubtless  be  qualified  as  in  16:  31: 


140 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXI. 


The  hoary  head  is  a crown  of  glory  if  found  in  the  way  of  right- 
eousness. 

30.  The  blueness  of  a wound  cleanseth  away  evil : so  do 
stripes  the  inward  part  of  the  belly. 

Stripes  that  make  deep  wounds  are  the  remedy  for  the  wicked 
Such  smitings  go  down  deep  into  the  chambers  of  the  soul.  The 
Hebrew  gives  no  hint  of  the  idea  of  “ blueness.”  The  general 
sentiment  is  as  above — that  a vigorous  corporeal  punishment  is  an 
effective  remedy  for  the  wicked  man  or  boy,  because  it  goes  deep 
into  his  sensibilities — takes  hold,  when,  by  the  supposition,  noth- 
ing else  will.  Closely  in  this  connection,  Solomon  had  spoken  of 
the  “spirit  of  man”  as  “the  candle  of  the  Lord,”  going  down  deep 
into  the  soul;  but  remembering  that  some  men  do  their  utmost  to 
extinguish  this  candle,  and  will  not  be  searched  deeply  by  its  light, 
he  intimates  that  God’s  fearful  discipline,  in  the  form  of  corporeal 
infliction,  must  be  his  next  and  last  resort. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

1.  The  king’s  heart  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  as  the 
rivers  of  water  : he  turneth  it  whithersoever  he  will. 

The  “rivers  of  water”  referred  to  here  are  the  little  rills  turned 
aside  from  the  main  stream  for  the  purposes  of  irrigation.  As  the 
farmer  conducts  the  water  along  the  hillsides  in  an  artificial  water- 
course, and  then  takes  out  the  lesser  streams  at  whatever  point  he 
will  to  irrigate  his  lands,  so  God  turns  the  hearts  of  kings  with 
infinite  facility  to  whatever  purposes  he  will.  Moses  alludes  to 
irrigation  in  Egypt  (Deut.  11 : 10)  as  a land  where  “thou  sowedst 
thy  seed  and  wateredst  it  with  thy  foot  as  a garden  of  herbs.” 
Vast  reservoirs  of  water  having  first  been  filled  from  the  Nile,  the 
husbandman  cut  his  aqueducts,  let  in  the  water,  and  then,  as  he 
passed  along,  opened  an  outlet  or  closed  it  with  his  foot , with  the 
greatest  ease.  Especially  was  this  done  with  ease  compared  with 
any  other  known  method  of  irrigation  ; and  to  this  the  figure  in  our 

proverb  may  tacitly  refer. So  God  can  turn  the  mighty  influence 

of  kings  into  channels  of  beneficence,  along  which  he  can  make 
it  pour  blessings  all  abroad  at  his  own  good  pleasure.  So  he  used 
Cyrus,  the  Persian  king,  for  blessings  upon  his  captive  children 
in  Babylon.  So  he  makes  even  the  wrath  of  kings  praise  himself. 
If  he  can  shape  the  mighty  issues  of  the  counsels  of  kings  with 
infinite  ease,  and  even  their  very  counsels  themselves,  how  much 
more  all  the  purposes  and  works  of  men  of  lesser  power ! 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXI 


141 


2.  Every  way  of  a man  is  right  in  his  own  eyes : but  the 
Lord  pondereth  the  hearts. 

See  16:2  for  a parallel  proverb ; the  same  sentiment  in  the 
same  or  synonymous  words. 

3.  To  do  justice  and  judgment  is  more  acceptable  to  the 
Lord  than  sacrifice. 

This  great  moral  truth,  eminently  important  to  be  reiterated 
under  a dispensation  in  which  sacrifices  were  so  prominent,  we 
actually  find  repeated  often  in  the  ancient  scriptures.  (See  1 Sam. 
15:  22,  23,  and  Ps.  50;  8 and  51;  16,  IT,  and  Isa.  1 : 11 — 15,  and 
Hos.  6 : 6,  and  Mic.  6 : 7,  8). 

4.  A high  look,  and  a proud  heart,  and  the  plowing  of 
the  wicked  is  sin. 

An  high  look  and  a proud  heart  (literally,  lofty  eyes  and  swell- 
ing of  heart)  are  repulsive  to  God,  because  they  are  the  manifesta- 
tions of  a spirit  that  disowns  his  supreme  authority  and  disregards 

the  law  of  love  to  man.  See  a similar  expression  in  Ps.  101  : 5. 

The  uniform  usage  of  the  word  “plowing”  compels  us  to 

give  it  the  sense  of  lamp  or  light , used  figuratively  to  denote  what- 
ever the  wicked  most  delight  in  and  count  most  vital  to  their  hap- 
piness. Since  they  are  in  rebellion  against  God,  their  lamp  or 
light  is  precisely  that  which  most  sustains  them  in  this  rebellion, 
which  constitutes  their  chief  joy  and  chief  reward  in  the  ways  of 
sin.  Light  is  a common,  not  to  say  universal,  symbol  of  prosper- 
ity and  joy.  That  which  is  the  source  or  fountain  of  such  pros- 
perity to  the  wicked  is  the  thing  here  referred  to.  It  feeds  their 
pride,  fosters  their  high  looks  ; therefore  this,  along  with  their  high 

looks  and  proud  heart,  goes  to  constitute  their  sin. In  a moral 

and  practical  point  of  view,  it  is  a great,  not  to  say  fatal,  objection 
to  the  English  version  that  the  plowing  of  the  wicked  is,  of  all 
their  doings,  least  associated  with  high  looks  and  a proud  heart. 
Who  would  ever  think  of  classing  it  with  lofty  eyes  and  a haughty 
bearing  ? 

5.  The  thoughts  of  the  diligent  tend  only  to  plenteous- 
ness ; but  of  every  one  that  is  hasty  only  to  want. 

“ Thoughts  ” (as  usual  in  this  Hebrew  word)  has  the  sense  of 
plans,  arrangements  for  business.  The  active  and  diligent  are 
here  put  in  contrast  with  the  rash  and  headlong  whose  schemes 
are  never  well  considered.  Or  perhaps  we  may  better  follow  the 
course  of  thought,  frequent  in  these  proverbs,  which  associates 
haste  in  getting  rich,  not  so  much  with  ill-digested  plans  of  labor 
as  with  violations  of  the  moral  law,  fraud,  theft,  or  robbery.  (See 
Prov.  20:  21  and  28:  20.) 


142 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXI. 


6.  The  getting  of  treasures  by  a lying  tongue  is  a vanity 
tossed  to  and  fro  of  them  that  seek  death. 

This  somewhat  difficult  proverb  I prefer  to  construe  thus : 
Treasures  gotten  by  a lying  tongue  are  as  the  driven  breath  of 
those  who  are  [practically]  death-seekers.  Treasures  gotten, 
rather  than  the  getting  of  treasures.  A driven  breath  is  a breath 
driven  as  if  before  the  whirlwinds  of  the  Almighty.  It  is  the 
breath  of  those  who  by  virtue  of  their  wickedness  are  seeking 
their  own  death.  Alas,  these  treasures,  so  vain,  so  transient, 
so  fraught  with  death  ! Procuring  death,  i.  e .,  bringing  upon  their 
possessor  the  ruin  he  righteously  deserves.  Such  treasures,  con- 
sidered with  reference  to  the  enjoyment  they  afford,  are  a breath 
dispelled  suddenly ; but  considered  with  reference  to  the  terrible 
retribution  they  bring,  they  seek  and  demand  the  destruction  of 

their  lying  possessor. The  first  word  may  very  naturally  mean 

not  precisely  the  getting  of  such  treasures  but  the  treasures  them- 
selves so  gotten.  This  construction  being  admitted,  the  rest  is 
natural  and  exceedingly  pertinent. 

7.  The  robbery  of  the  wicked  shall  destroy  them  ; be- 
cause they  refuse  to  do  judgment. 

The  violence  of  the  wicked  (which  they  use  upon  others) 
snatches,  sweeps  them  away  to  their  destruction,  because  they  re- 
fuse to  do  justice.  Deliberately  discarding  justice,  and  deliber- 
ately resorting  to  violence,  God’s  righteous  retribution  gives  vio- 
lence its  commission  to  sweep  them  away  to  their  doom. 

8.  The  way  of  man  is  froward  and  strange : but  as  for 
the  pure,  his  work  is  right. 

This  proverb  presents  rather  stubborn  difficulties,  yet  they  are 
so  involved  in  the  etymology  of  the  Hebrew  word  translated 
“strange”  that  the  case  can  not  be  easily  presented  before  the 
merely  English  reader.  Our  received  version  can  not  be  right; 
the  first  clause  is  too  indefinite.  It  seems  to  say  that  the  ways  of 
all  men  are  froward — which  is  not  true:  indeed,  an  important 

exception  is  made  in  the  next  words  of  this  proverb. The 

choice  lies  between  these  two  constructions:  (a)  Very  perverse  is 
the  way  of  the  guilty  man  [the  man  laden  with  guilt ] ; but  as  to 
the  upright,  his  work  is  pure,  (b)  The  man  of  perverse  way,  even 
he  is  apostate  [i.  e .,  from  God] ; but  as  to  the  upright,  etc. 

9.  It  is  better  to  dwell  in  a corner  of  the  housetop,  than 
with  a brawling  woman  in  a wide  house. 

To  live  in  a small  corner  on  the  turret  of  a house,  though  badly 
exposed  to  sun,  wind,  and  storms,  is  better  than  to  live  with  a 
quarrelsome  woman  and  have  the  whole  house  to  yourselves.  See 
essentially  the  same  sentiment  in  v.  19,  below.  The  original 
indicates  nothing  in  respect  to  the  size  of  the  house.  The  idea 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  XXL 


143 


is  that  with  the  whole  house  between  you,  you  will  still  be  more 
uncomfortable  than  in  the  most  narrow  and  exposed  quarters,  yet 
alone. 

10.  The  soul  of  the  wicked  desireth  evil : his  neighbor 
findeth  no  favor  in  his  eyes. 

The  very  soul  of  the  wicked  man  is  insatiably  greedy  for  mis- 
chief. Hence  his  friend  finds  no  compassion  in  his  eyes;  his 
eagerness  for  mischief,  his  propensity  toward  wrong,  will  shut 
out  from  his  heart  all  compassion  for  even  a friend.  A strong 
statement;  but  human  depravity  sometimes  comes  fully  up  to  it. 

11.  When  the  scorner  is  punished,  the  simple  is  made 
wise : and  when  the  wise  is  instructed,  he  receiveth  knowl- 
edge. 

See  19 : 25  for  the  same  sentiment. 

12.  The  righteous  man  wisely  considereth  the  house  of 
the  wicked : but  God  overthroweth  the  wicked  for  their 
wickedness. 

There  can  scarcely  be  a doubt  that  the  great  agent  in  both 
clauses  of  this  proverb  is  God,  the  just  one.  He  studies  closely 
and  knows  perfectly  the  house  of  the  wicked : he,  too,  plunges  the 
wicked  headlong  into  ruin.  He  marks  the  growth  of  the  wicked 
man’s  family  and  estate;  sees  how  he  prospers  in  his  ungodliness; 
but  when  God  has  borne  with  him  as  long  as  wisdom  and  justice 
can  sustain  or  even  endure,  then  he  hurls  this  hopelessly  incorrig- 
ible sinner  swiftly  down  to  perdition. 

13.  Whoso  stoppeth  his  ears  at  the  cry  of  the  poor,  he 
also  shall  cry  himself,  but  shall  not  be  heard. 

This  is  righteous  retribution.  He  who  will  not  hear  the  cry  of 
the  afflicted  in  their  distress  shall  be  brought  to  cry  himself  for 
help,  but  have  no  answer.  As  said  by  the  Apostle  James  (2  : 13), 
“He  shall  have  judgment  without  mercy  who  hath  showed  no 
mercy.”  Our  Lord  taught  the  same  truth  most  forcibly  (Matt. 
18:  23-35). 

14.  A gift  in  secret  pacifieth  anger  : and  a reward  in 
the  bosom,  strong  wrath. 

It  seems  to  be  assumed  that  gifts  conveyed  secretly  are  thereby 
made  more  effective  to  appease  excited  passion — which  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  laws  of  human  nature. 

15.  It  is  joy  to  the  just  to  do  judgment : but  destruction 
shall  be  to  the  workers  of  iniquity. 

Just  men  find  their  happiness  in  doing  justice.  The  workers  of 
iniquity  find  in  their  work  r ot  happiness,  but  destruction. 

1 


144 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXL 


16.  The  man  that  wandereth  out  of  the  way  of  under- 
standing shall  remain  in  the  congregation  of  the  dead. 

The  man  who  wanders  [morally,  sinfully]  out  of  the  way  of 
wisdom,  shall  find  his  home,  his  place  of  permanent  abode,  among 
the  lost  [in  Ileb.  the  shades,  the  spirits  of  the  wicked  dead]. 
Compare  9:  18  : “But  he  knoweth  not  that  the  dead  [the  shades] 
are  there,  and  that  her  guests  are  in  the  depths  of  hell.” 

17.  He  that  loveth  pleasure  shall  be  a poor  man:  he  that 
loveth  wine  and  oil  shall  not  be  rich. 

Giving  himself  up  to  sensual  enjoyment,  he  will  consume  as 
fast  as  he  earns,  and  even  faster  if  he  can,  and  so  will  accumulate 
nothing.  Besides  this,  such  sensuality  of  life  steals  a man’s  health 
and  vigor  away  and  makes  him  prematurely  old  and  feeble.  See 
v.  20,  below. 

18.  The  wicked  shall  be  a ransom  for  the  righteous,  and 
the  transgressor  for  the  upright. 

That  the  wicked  become  themselves  the  price  of  redemption  for 
the  righteous  seems  to  assume  that  they  have  sought  (maliciously) 
to  involve  the  righteous  in  suffering,  but  under  God’s  righteous 
retribution  are  made  to  bear  the  same  suffering  themselves  while 
the  righteous  go  free.  This  sort  of  substitution  is  implied  in  the 
last  clause,  the  transgressor  coming  into  the  place  of  the  upright. 

See  also  11:  8. Cases  in  illustration  of  this  principle  would 

often  occur  under  the  despotic  governments  of  the  east,  where 
wicked  men  would  accuse  the  righteous  before  the  king,  but,  the 
truth  coming  to  light,  they  would  themselves  be  made  to  bear  the 
punishment  they  had  maliciously  sought  to  bring  upon  the  inno- 
cent. See  the  case  of  Mordecai  and  Haman. 

19.  It  is  better  to  dwell  in  the  wilderness,  than  with  a 
contentious  and  an  angry  woman. 

See  v.  9.  The  idea  is  that  no  society  at  all  is  better  than  such. 
It  is  sad  to  think  how  often  human  depravity  converts  God’s 
richest  blessing  into  a positive  curse. 

20.  There  is  treasure  to  be  desired,  and  oil  in  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  wise : but  a foolish  man  spendeth  it  up. 

The  wise  lay  up  for  future  use,  and  therefore  have  on  hand,  but 
fools  lay  aside  nothing;  but  forthwith  consume  all.  Solomon 
labors  to  encourage  not  only  industry  but  a wise  provision  for  the 
future. 

21.  He  that  followeth  after  righteousness  and  mercy 
findeth  life,  righteousness,  and  honor. 

“Following  after”  is  here  in  the  sense  of  carefully  and  earnestly 
aiming  to  practice—  to  reach  as  an  attainment  in  his  own  life- 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXI. 


145 


experience.  He  who  labors  to  be  just  and  kind  to  all  will  find 
life  [true  blessedness],  righteousness  in  the  sense  probably  of  all 
prosperity,  and  true  honor.  I assume  a slight  play  upon  the  two- 
fold sense  of  the.  word  “righteousness;”  first,  upright  conduct; 
second,  its  results  in  blessings  upon  the  upright  doer.  He  who 
follows  righteousness  in  the  former  sense  will  find  it  in  the  latter. 

22.  A wise  man  scaleth  the  city  of  the  mighty,  and 
casteth  down  the  strength  of  the  confidence  thereof. 

Wisdom  is  power,  even  in  war — even  in  the  assault  and  capture 
of  fortified  cities — a work  which  would  seem  specially  to  call  for 
pure  physical  force.  The  same  point  is  put  strongly  in  Eccl. 

9:  13-16,  18. “Casting  down  the  strength  of  the  confidence 

thereof” — i.  e .,  the  citadel  within,  the  point  of  greatest  military 
strength,  in  which  men  chiefly  confide. 

23.  Whoso  keepeth  his  mouth  and  his  tongue,  keepeth 
his  soul  from  troubles. 

Compare  13:  3 and  12:  13.  So  large  a part  of  the  mischiefs  of 
life  comes  from  abuse  of  the  tongue  that  Solomon  guarantees 
exemption  from  most  of  the  ills  of  society  to  him  who  discreetly 
governs  that  unruly  member.  The  Apostle  James  states  the  case 
with  about  equal  strength  (Jam.  3 : 2). 

24.  Proud  and  haughty  scorner  is  his  name,  who  dealetli 
in  proud  wrath. 

The  last  clause  bears  the  strong  sense — Who  conducts  himself 
with  overbearing  scorn.  You  can  scarcely  give  him  too  bad  a 
name.  He  is  intrinsically  and  intensely  vile  and  hateful. 

25.  The  desire  of  the  slothful  killeth  him ; for  his  hands 
refuse  to  labor. 

The  strength  of  his  propensity  to  sloth  will  prove  his  death, 
for  his  hands  will  not  work.  The  doctrine  seems  to  be  that  he 
ought  to  starve,  and  in  the  course  of  nature  and  of  society  he  must. 
Paul  taught  a similar  doctrine  (2  Thess.  3:  10),  “That  if  any 
would  not  work,  neither  should  he  eat.” 

26.  He  coveteth  greedily  all  the  day  long  : but  the  right- 
eous giveth  and  spareth  not. 

This  seems  to  be  a continuation  of  the  preceding.  All  the  day 
long  his  hunger  and  want  press;  his  appetite  craves;  but  the 
implication  is,  find  no  supply.  But  the  righteous  have  enough 
and  to  spare. 

27.  The  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is  abomination : how  much 
more  when  he  bringeth  it  with  a wicked  mind  ? 

See  15:  8.  The  sacrifice  brought  by  the  wicked  is  always 
abominable  to  God,  because  a true  heart  is  never  in  it.  How  much 


146 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXI. 


more  when  he  brings  it  with  a specially  crafty  purpose?  e.  g., 
to  buy  an  indulgence  to  sin — as  if  he  could  bribe  the  infinitely 
pure  and  holy  God ! 

28.  A false  witness  shall  perish  : but  the  man  that  heareth 
speaketh  constantly. 

The  point  of  this  proverb  lies  in  assuming  that  the  hearing 
witness  testifies  only  to  what  he  personally  knows,  and  that  con- 
sequently he  always  commands  confidence.  His  mouth  will  neve** 

be  stopped  [forcibly]. Over  against  this,  the  false  witness  shall 

perish,  bringing  ruin  upon  himself. 

29.  A wicked  man  hardeneth  his  face : but  as  for  the  up- 
right, he  directeth  his  way. 

Both  the  wicked  and  the  upright  employ  themselves  in  giving 
firmness  and  solidity — the  wicked  man  to  his  face;  the  upright 
man  to  his  steps.  A hard,  tough,  brazen  face  is  the  finished 
work  of  the  former;  a firm,  sure,  well  directed  moral  life  is  the 
fruit  of  his  labor  to  the  latter.  The  point  of  the  proverb  lies  in 
the  play  upon  the  different  uses  of  the  hardening  process — to  put 
on  the  air  of  impudence  in  the  one  case ; to  give  moral  stability 
to  one’s  life  in  the  other. 

30.  There  is  no  wisdom  nor  understanding  nor  counsel 
against  the  Lord. 

Human  wisdom,  knowledge,  counsel,  avail  nothing  for  a position 
before  the  Lord.  This  phrase  corresponds  very  closely  to  the 
Hebrew,  leaving  as  that  does  a slight  ambiguity  in  the  sense, 
whether  it  means  (1)  in  his  view;  or  (2)  considered  as  arrayed 
against  him;  or  (3)  as  being  compared  with  his.  The  first  is 
morally  inadmissible.  If  we  take  the  second  as  the  leading  idea 
it  involves  the  third,  a construction  which  I accept. 

31.  The  horse  is  prepared  against  the  day  of  battle:  but 
safety  is  of  the  Lord. 

Up  to  the  age  of  Solomon,  the  Hebrews  knew  nothing  of  any 
use  for  the  horse  except  for  war.  They  had  known  them  trained 
for  the  day  of  battle;  for  nothing  else.  But  this  proverb  declares 
that  salvation  even  in  battle  comes  from  the  Lord  and  not  from  the 
war-horse — a sentiment  eminently  adapted  to  the  case  of  the  He- 
brew people,  who  had  no  cavalry  of  their  own,  but  who  sometimes 
had  to  face  those  powerful  animals  in  the  hosts  of  their  foes. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXII. 


147 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

1.  A good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great  riches, 
and  loving  favor  rather  than  silver  and  gold. 

A good  name  means  a reputation  for  integrity  and  virtue.  By 
“ loving  favor  ” I understand  the  affectionate  good  will  of  mankind. 
Both  this  and  a good  name  are  a possession  earned  by  a good  life 
and  awarded  by  the  friends  secured  to  the  good  by  such  a life. 
In  this  point  of  view  they  are  compared  with  the  possession  of 

gold. The  moral  influence  of  such  a proverb  as  this  upon  the 

character  of  the  young,  if  carefully  remembered  and  diligently 
regarded,  can  not  fail  to  be  wholesome  and  elevating.  Think  of 
it,  young  man — a richer  treasure  than  the  gold  of  the  mine,  and 
none  of  you  are  too  poor  to  get  it ! 

2.  The  rich  and  poor  meet  together:  the  Lord  is  the 
maker  of  them  all. 

The  course  of  providence  in  this  world  mingles  the  rich  and  the 
poor  together  every-where.  Therefore,  since  they  are  destined  to 
live  in  each  other’s  society  here,  let  each  remember  that  the  same 
God  is  the  one  Maker  and  Lord  of  both  classes,  and  will  protect  each 
and  all  in  their  respective  rights.  For  he  hath  made  of  one  blood 
all  the  nations  and  the  peoples;  the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich 
and  the  poor  together.  This  consideration  should  minister  both  to 
the  respect  due  from  the  poor  to  the  rich,  and  to  the  sympathy  and 
kindness  due  from  the  rich  to  the  poor. 

3.  A prudent  man  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth  himself : 
but  the  simple  pass  on,  and  are  punished. 

The  sense  of  the  word  rendered  “prudent”  is  wary,  fore- 
thoughtful, sagacious — the  very  qualities  of  mind  which  foresee 
impending  evils.  The  “simple”  here  are  the  credulous,  the  men 
who  are  open  to  all  temptations.  “Passing  on”  is  less  strong 
than  the  Hebrew,  which  means  they  pass  over — in  this  case,  the 
line  of  prudence.  Of  course  they  meet  their  reward. 

4.  By  humility  and  the  fear  of  the  Lord  are  riches,  and 
honor,  and  life. 

The  original  might  be  rendered  at  once  more  precisely  and 
more  clearly  thus : The  rewards  of  humility,  the  fear  of  the  Lord, 
are  riches,  honor,  and  life. 

5.  Thorns  and  snares  are  in  the  way  of  the  fro  ward : he 
that  doth  keep  his  soul  shall  be  far  from  them. 

This  kind  of  “thorns  and  snares”  manifestly  imperil,  not  so 
much  the  feet  physically  as  the  soul  morally,  for  the  righteous 
man  avoids  them  by  keeping  his  soul  with  all  diligence. 


148 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXII. 


6.  Train  up  a child  in  the  way  he  should  go : and  when 
he  is  old,  he  will  not  depart  from  it. 

The  word  for  11  train  up  ” means  to  educate ; to  confirm  in  a given 
course;  to  devote  or  dedicate  to  a special  service,  as  a house  or 

temple  is  dedicated. The  translation,  “in  the  way  he  should 

go,”  is  what  we  call  somewhat  free,  departing  considerably  from 
the  literal  form  of  the  original,  yet  not  perhaps  from  its  true  sense. 
The  original  would  naturally  read,  after  the  manner  of  his  ivay ; 
i.  e.r  train  him  with  reference  to  his  future  way,  in  a manner  cor- 
responding to  what  his  future  is  to  be;  which  certainly  may 
mean— to  what  you  wish  it  to  be;  to  what  it  ought  to  be.  All 
that  Solomon  said,  however,  is  precisely  this : “ Train  him  after 
the  manner  of  his  way.”  The  Hebrew  student  will  see  the  usage 
of  the  pivot  words  in  Gen.  43:  7,  “We  told  him  according  to  the 
tenor  of  these  words;  ” and  Exod.  34;  27,  “ After  the  tenor  of  those 
words  have  I made  a covenant,”  etc. ; and  Lev.  27 : 18,  “ Shall 
reckon  to  him  the  money  according  to  the  years  that  remain,”  etc. 
Probably  Solomon  meant,  shape  the  young  twig  as  you  would  have 
the  future  tree;  give  your  child  a culture  for  the  after-life  which 
you  wish  him  to  live.  So  doing,  he  will  not  depart  from  it  in  his 

old  age. Some  of  the  critics  give  this  construction : “ Train  him 

according  to  the  bent  of  his  tastes,  or  of  his  genius.”  Within 
certain  limits,  this  may  be  wise  philosophically ; but  it  is  not  in 
harmony  with  the  drift  of  Solomon’s  teachings  in  this  book.  The 
current  of  his  exhortation  here  is  thoroughly  moral , looking  directly 
to  the  great  moral  ends  and  responsibilities  of  human  life. 

7.  The  rich  ruleth  over  the  poor,  and  the  borrower  is 
servant  to  the  lender. 

The  second  clause  gives  a clew  to  the  meaning  of  the  first, 
showing  in  what  sense  the  rich  have  power  over  the  poor,  and 
wherein  the  poor  are  dependent  upon  the  rich.  Solomon  labors 
continually  to  encourage  such  industry  and  frugality  as  will  lift 
the  poor  above  an  abject  dependence  upon  others. 

8.  He  that  soweth  iniquity  shall  reap  vanity:  and  the 
rod  of  his  anger  shall  fail. 

On  the  last  clause  critics  differ.  The  choice  lies  between  these 
constructions,  viz. : (1)  The  rod  which  he  passionately  inflicts  on 
others  shall  fall  powerless ; come  to  an  end ; or  (2)  The  rod  for 
his  insolence  [to  scourge  it]  is  made  ready.  The  radical  idea  of 
the  verb  is  to  make  full , complete.  Hence  the  two  shades  of  mean- 
ing given  above  are  both  legitimate — to  be  used  up  so  that  nothing 
remains ; and,  to  be  fully  prepared  for  its  work.  I incline  to  the 
latter  construction.  Either  would  give  a true  sentiment;  the  lat- 
ter is  most  forcible. 

9.  He  that  hath  a bountiful  eye  shall  be  blessed ; for  he 
giveth  of  his  bread  to  the  poor. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIT. 


149 


A “ bountiful  eye  ” is  literally  a good  eye,  in  the  sense  of  an 
eye  to  'pity : an  eye  that  sees  suffering  and  want,  and  indicates  a 
heart  and  a hand  of  generous  benevolence.  God  will  bless  such 
an  eye. 

10.  Cast  out  the  scorner,  and  contention  shall  go  out: 
yea,  strife  and  reproach  shall  cease. 

The  scorner  is  reckless  of  the  feelings  and  rights  of  others, 
and  consequently  has  no  qualities  of  heart  that  restrain  him  from 
contentions  and  quarrels.  The  proverb  says  that  if  such  men 
would  be  off,  contention  would  go  too,  and  society  would  have  a 
sabbath  of  rest  from  strife  and  from  reproachful  words. 

11.  He  that  lovetli  pureness  of  heart,  for  the  grace  of 
his  lips  the  king  shall  be  his  friend. 

The  English  version  seems  to  assume  that  he  who  loves  purity 
of  heart  will  have  the  gift  of  agreeable  speech,  graceful  eloquence ; 
and  that  for  the  latter  quality,  the  king  will  be  his  friend.  An- 
other construction,  approved  by  some  critics,  supposes  that  the 
man  has  both  purity  of  heart  and  graceful  expression,  and  that 
for  both  these  qualities,  rather  than  for  the  latter  only,  the  king 
will  be  his  friend;  thus:  “He  who  loves  purity  of  heart  and 
whose  lips  are  graceful,  the  king  will  be  his  friend.”  I like  this 
construction. 

12.  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  preserve  knowledge : and  he 
overthrowetli  the  words  of  the  transgressor. 

The  word  for  “knowledge”  here  must  mean  the  wise  and  in- 
telligent, the  sense  being  that  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  watch  kindly 
over  them  and  shield  them  from  harm,  while  he  overthrows  the 
words  and  frustrates  the  schemes  of  the  perfidious,  and  of  course 
brings  them  to  ruin. 

13.  The  slothful  man  saitli,  There  is  a lion  without,  I 
shall  be  slain  in  the  streets. 

Not  that  he  has  seen  the  lion  or  heard  him;  but  he  wishes  he 
could — any  thing  to  excuse  himself  from  w^ork! 

14.  The  mouth  of  strange  women  is  a deep  pit : he  that 
is  abhorred  of  the  Lord  shall  fall  therein. 

“ Strange  ” is  primarily  in  the  sense  of  foreign , and  as  to  the 
Jew*?  practically,  a woman  lost  to  virtue,  whose  words  were  fear- 
fully seductive  to  sin.  Such  words  ensnare  men  to  destruction 
like  a deep  pit  from  which  none  who  fall  into  it  can  ever  escape. 
The  figure  refers  to  the  deep  pits  prepared  to  catch  ferocious  wild 
beasts.  Those  whom  God  no  longer  hopes  to  reclaim,  but  in  his 
righteous  indignation  is  ready  to  destroy,  will  fall  therein. 


150 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXII. 


Does  not  this  imply  that  God  has  no  means  of  destruction  for  the 
incorrigibly  wicked  more  sure  than  this  ? 

15.  Foolishness  is  bound  in  the  heart  of  a child ; but  the 
rod  of  correction  shall  drive  it  far  from  him. 

“ Foolishness/’  not  in  the  sense  of  ignorance,  much  less  of 
semi-idiocy,  but  of  wickedness,  evil  passions,  vicious  ways. 
“Bound  up”  must  mean,  deep-rooted,  cherished  and  loved;  in- 
terlaced with  his  impulses  and  habits  so  as  to  become  almost  a 
second  nature.  Yet  even  in  this  toughest  case  the  rod  of  correc- 
tion has  a marvelous  expelling  power. 

16.  He  that  oppresseth  the  poor  to  increase  his  riches,  and 
he  that  giveth  to  the  rich,  shall  surely  come  to  want. 

This  man  is  supposed  to  pursue  two  methods  of  enriching  him- 
self ; he  robs  the  poor ; he  gives  to  the  rich ; but  in  both  cases  he 
will  only  impoverish  himself.  His  two  methods,  viewed  super- 
ficially, may  seem  to  be  of  opposite  character  and  incongruous ; but 
they  both  have  the  same  end  in  view,  and  both  alike  will  fail  of 
the  end  he  seeks,  and  will  really  bring  him  not  riches  but  ruin. 

17.  Bow  down  thine  ear,  and  hear  the  words  of  the  wise, 
and  apply  thine  heart  unto  my  knowledge. 

18.  For  it  is  a pleasant  thing  if  thou  keep  them  within 
thee ; they  shall  withal  be  fitted  in  thy  lips. 

19.  That  thy  trust  may  be  in  the  Lord,  I have  made 
known  to  thee  this  day,  even  to  thee. 

20.  Have  not  I written  to  thee  excellent  things  in  coun- 
sels and  knowledge, 

21.  That  I might  make  thee  know  the  certainty  of  the 
words  of  truth  ; that  thou  mightest  answer  the  words  of 
truth  to  them  that  send  unto  thee  ? 

With  v.  17  commences  a third  part  of  this  Book  of  Proverbs, 
distinct  in  some  points  of  style  and  method  from  those  which 
precede  or  which  follow.  See  the  Introduction.  This  part  closes 
with  chap.  24. 

The  writer  invites  most  diligent  attention  to  the  words  of  wis- 
dom which  he  has  to  speak. “ Shall  be  fitted  in  thy  lips  ” 

(v.  18)  means  shall  be  confirmed  or  established  upon  thy  lips,  to 
be  always  (as  we  might  say)  at  thy  tongue’s  end,  fresh  in  memory 
and  ever  at  hand,  not  only  for  reflective  thought  but  for  ready 
utterance  ; words  in  season  fitly  spoken.  I have  taught  thee  these 

great  truths  in  order  that  thou  mayest  fully  trust  the  Lord. In 

the  Hebrew  word  for  “excellent  things”  (v.  20)  the  English  ver- 
sion follows  the  Hebrew  margin.  The  Hebrew  text  (of  higher 
authority  and  making  equally  good  sense)  should  be  preferred,  its 
significance  being — “Have  I not  previously  written  thee  in  wise 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXII. 


151 


counsels  and  knowledge  that  I might  make  thee  know  the  cer- 
tainty,” etc.  His  object  was  to  establish  the  great  principles  of 

wisdom  and  truth  in  the  reader’s  mind. The  allusion  in  the 

words,  “them  that  send  thee,”  seems  to  be  to  those  who  might 
intrust  to  thee  any  important  business  or  resposibility.  Com- 
pare 10:  26. 

22.  Rob  not  the  poor,  because  he  is  poor:  neither  op- 
press the  afflicted  in  the  gate: 

23.  For  the  Lord  will  plead  their  cause,  and  spoil  the 
soul  of  those  that  spoiled  them. 

Never  take  advantage  of  the  poor,  assuming  that  they  can  not 
defend  themselves  and  retaliate  upon  you;  neither  oppress  the 
afflicted  [and  defenseless]  “in  the  gate,”  where  civil  tribunals 
were  anciently  held,  for  the  Lord  will  plead  the  cause  of  those 
who  have  no  other  friend.  Hence  their  Redeemer  is  mighty  [23: 

10,  11]. “Spoil  the  soul,”  etc.,  means  that  he  can  overmatch 

the  cunning  and  overbearing  spirit  of  the  mightiest  oppressors, 
even  to  the  ruin  of  their  souls.  The  Hebrew  verb  carries  this 

sense. It  is  a fearful  thing  for  proud,  heartless  oppressors  of 

the  poor  to  bring  themselves  into  collision  with  the  Infinite  God — 
the  never-failing  Redeemer  and  Benefactor  of  the  otherwise  help- 
less, friendless  ones  of  his  great  family ! 

24.  Make  no  friendship  with  an  angry  man ; and  with  a 
furious  man  thou  shalt  not  go ; 

25.  Lest  thou  learn  his  ways,  and  get  a snare  to  thy  soul. 

With  men  given  to  passion  have  no  intimacies,  nay  more,  go 
not  with  them  at  all,  lest  thou  catch  their  spirit,  be  drawn  into 
their  ways  and  become  ensnared  at  the  cost  of  life. 

26.  Be  not  thou  one  of  them  that  strike  hands,  or  of  them 
that  are  sureties  for  debts. 

27.  If  thou  hast  nothing  to  pay,  why  should  he  take  away 
thy  bed  from  under  thee  ? 

This  admonition  has  occurred  already  (6:  1-5  and  11  : 15). 
The  doctrine  of  suretyship  as  it  appears  in  this  Book  of  Proverbs 
should  be  studied  and  judged  of  in  the  light  of  the  age  of  Solomon 
and  of  the  Mosaic  system.  From  Moses  to  Solomon,  the  Jews  had 
never  been  a commercial  people.  For  obvious  reasons  it  was  man- 
ifestly the  divine  policy  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  such.  Their 
system  of  agriculture,  with  no  costly  implements,  required  but  lit- 
tle capital.  Hence  while  they  kept  aloof  from  traffic,  they  had  but 
the  least  possible  occasion  to  loan  money  on  the  guaranty  of  an- 
other. Most  of  those  who  sought  such  aid  were  doubtless  for- 
eigners, coming  or  living  among  them  for  trade.  During  Solo- 
mon’s reign,  commerce  received  a vigorous  impulse.  We  must 


152 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


suppose  the  country  filled  with  foreign  tradesmen.  Many  He- 
brews too  were  seeking  to  amass  a fortune  speedily  in  this  pursuit. 
Hence  Solomon  saw  the  necessity  of  giving  line  upon  line  of  warn- 
ing against  suretyship. The  laws  [or  usage]  to  enforce  the 

payment  of  debts  were  stringent,  as  our  passage  indicates. — — By 
the  laws  of  Moses,  the  poor  mans  outer  garment,  if  taken  in 
pledge,  must  not  be  kept  over  night,  because  it  was  his  bed-cov- 
ering. 

28.  Remove  not  the  ancient  landmark,  which  thy  fathers 
have  set. 

See  the  Hebrew  law,  Deut.  19  : 14  and  27 : 17.  Also  Prov.  23 : 

10. Offenses  committed  with  ease  and  detected  with  difficulty 

must  be  punished  rigorously.  But  since  the  best  of  human  laws 
are  very  imperfect  as  means  of  preventing  such  offenses,  the  ut- 
most possible  moral  force  should  be  brought  to  bear  to  sustain 
them.  We  see  this  wisdom  manifested  here.  The  “old  landmark” 
should  be  honored  as  a relic  of  the  venerable  past.  The  fathers 
put  it  there : let  no  sacrilegious  hand  touch  it ! 

29.  Seest  thou  a man  diligent  in  his  business  ? he  shall 
stand  before  kings ; he  shall  not  stand  before  mean  men. 

Seest  thou  a man  [the  Hebrew  word  gives  us  the  higher  style 
of  a man,  not  the  lower]  diligent,  i.  e.,  prompt,  active,  expeditious 
in  his  work;  he  will  make  himself  a standing  before  kings  [they 
need. such  men]:  he  will  not  have  his  place  among  obscure  [in 
Heb.  dark,  unknown]  men.  Such  men  as  Joseph  and  Daniel 
work  themselves  up  to  high  responsibilities  by  dint  of  their  u dil- 
igence in  business.  They  bring  to  their  service  capacity,  energy, 
industry,  application.  Doing  every  thing  they  attempt  in  the 
best  manner  possible,  they  soon  come  before  kings  because  they 
are  wanted. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

1.  When  thou  sittest  to  eat  with  a ruler,  consider 
diligently  what  is  before  thee : 

2.  And  put  a knife  to  thy  throat,  if  thou  be  a man  given 
to  appetite. 

3.  Be  not  desirous  of  his  dainties  : for  they  are  deceitful 
meat. 

The  nicer  shades  of  thought  in  this  passage  turn  on  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  writer  would  guard  men  merely  against  over- 
eating, or  also  and  especially  against  degrading  themselves  in  the 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


153 


presence  of  the  king;  also,  whether  the  king,  in  the  case  supposed, 
spread  his  table  luxuriously  for  the  sake  of  mere  politeness,  of 
friendship,  or  from  royal  custom ; or  rather  for  the  special  purpose 
of  putting  to  the  test  the  self-control  and  thereby  the  intrinsic  stamina 
of  his  guest.  I accept  the  latter  alternative  in  each  of  these  general 
questions.  Solomon  had  seen  enough  of  kings  and  courts  to  know 
that  they  had  their  own  way  of  testing  a man’s  character  and 
habits,  and  the  power  of  his  appetites  over  him;  and  he  gives  the 
world  at  large  these  hints  bearing  on  that  point. “ Consider  dil- 

igently ” not  so  much  what  as  “ who  is  before  thee.”  Solomon  does 
not  exhort  us  to  look  sharply  into  the  dishes  to  see  what  we  should 
like,  nor  even  to  judge  what  we  ought  wisely  to  avoid,  but  rather 
to  consider  thoughtfully  where  we  are,  in  whose  presence  we  are 
sitting,  and  how  much  may  depend  on  the  impression  we  may 
make  upon  his  mind  by  our  manner  and  bearing  at  his  luxurious 
table.  “Restrain  thy  appetite  if  thou  be  a man  given  to  indul- 
gence in  good  eating,  even  though  it  may  require  stern  self-control, 
compared  to  a knife  at  the  throat.  Let  not  thy  appetite  be  ex- 
cited by  the  presence  of  his  tempting  dishes,  for  they  are  “deceit- 
ful meat,”  they  are  set  before  thee  not  in  pure  friendship  but  as 
a sharp  test  of  thy  proneness  to  sensual  indulgence  and  of  thy 

power  of  self-control. Another  sinister  motive  which  the  king 

may  be  supposed  to  have  in  feasting  you  might  be  to  get  from 
you  some  secret  which  it  were  wise  and  well  for  you  to  keep. 
Take  care,  therefore,  lest  you  be  thrown  off  your  guard  or  ren- 
dered unfit  for  discreet  judgment.  Think  of  those  luxuries  as 

“deceitful  meat.” Let  it  be  suggested  that  self-control  is  always 

manly  (as  opposed  to  beastly),  and  that  we  always  sit  at  table  in 
the  presence  of  the  Great  King ! 

4.  Labor  not  to  be  rich  ; cease  from  thine  own  wisdom. 

5.  Wilt  thou  set  thine  eyes  upon  that  which  is  not  ? for 
riches  certainly  makes  themselves  wings ; they  fly  away  as 
an  eagle  toward  heaven. 

An  admonition  against  making  riches  the  chief  end  of  one’s 

labor. “Cease  from  thine  own  wisdom”  should  be  construed 

as  bearing  on  the  subject  in  hand,  and  hence  must  mean,  Cease 
to  depend  on  thine  own  sagacity,  shrewdness,  skill  in  making 
money.  Solomon  assumes  that  the  supreme  pursuit  of  wealth  is 
sure  to  fail  of  its  object.  This  is  the  main  doctrine  of  the  Book 

of  Ecclesiastes. Wilt  thou  let  thine  eyes  fly  upon  riches?  i.  e ., 

turn  eagerly,  with  longing  look  as  if  to  rush  with  outspread  wings 
upon  them?  But  they  are  not ; they  will  not  be  there;  they 
vanish  from  your  view ; they  suddenly  elude  your  grasp  and  your 
hand  is  upon  nothing;  for  they  take  wings  like  an  eagle  and  are 
away!  See  similar  sentiments  in  Paul  to  Timothy  (1  Tim.  6: 
9,  10)  and  below,  28:  20 — a lesson  which  men  of  the  world  are 
sadly  slow  to  learn. 


154 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


6.  Eat  thou  not  the  bread  of  him  that  hath  an  evil  eye, 
neither  desire  thou  his  dainty  meats : 

7.  For  as  he  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he  : Eat  and 
drink,  saith  he  to  thee  ; but  his  heart  is  not  with  thee. 

8.  The  morsel  which  thou  hast  eaten  shalt  thou  vomit  up, 
and  lose  thy  sweet  words. 

The  sentiment  here  is  somewhat  analogous  to  that  in  vs.  1-3 
above.  In  that  passage,  however,  the  ruler  is  your  host:  in  this, 
any  man  of  malign  and  sinister  purpose.  This  is  the  meaning  of 
the  “evil,  eye/’  a man  whose  aim  is  selfish  and  even  malicious. 
He  must  be  judged  of,  not  by  what  he  says  but  by  what  he  thinks — 
his  “heart”  (v.  7).  “His  heart  is  not  with  thee,”  in  sympathy 
and  in  friendship.  If  you  eat  his  dainties  you  will  find  to  your 
shame  and  chagrin  that  he  has  meanly  and  maliciously  sought 
mischief  against  you,  and  you  would  be  glad  to  vomit  up  every 
morsel  you  ate  at  his  table.  You  will  “ lose  his  sweet  words  ” of 
gracious  but  deceitful  invitation,  as  if  you  were  to  vomit  them  up ! 

9.  Speak  not  in  the  ears  of  a fool : for  he  will  despise 
the  wisdom  of  thy  words. 

Cast  not  thy  pearls  before  swine ! So  the  fool  has  no  sense  of 
the  worth  of  wisdom. 

10.  Remove  not  the  old  landmark  ; and  enter  not  into 
the  field  of  the  fatherless  : 

11.  For  their  Redeemer  is  mighty  ; he  shall  plead  their 
cause  with  thee. 

Encroach  not  upon  the  lands  of  the  fatherless  [the  orphan],  for 
they  have  a mighty  Redeemer  in  the  Great  God — always  the  Father 
of  all  fatherless  ones ; the  most  formidable  antagonist  you  can 
have.  Stir  not  up  his  wrath,  for  he  will  plead  and  avenge  their 
cause  with  thee. The  original  sense  of  the  word  redeemer  ap- 

pears here — one  who  stands  in  law-phrase  as  “ next  friend,”  accord- 
ing to  ancient  usage  the  nearest  blood  relative ; but  in  general, 
one  who  acts  the  part  of  a father  for  his  son,  or  if  there  be  no 
father,  of  a brother  for  a deceased  brother’s  widow  and  children. 
It  was  held  to  be  the  duty  of  this  “next  friend”  to  assume  the 
case  and  defend  the  rights  of  his  protege,  to  be  as  a guardian  to 
his  ward,  to  avenge  his  blood  if  slain,  to  protect  his  estate  if  in 

any  way  encroached  upon  or  endangered. This  doctrine  should 

be  a terror  to  all  who  would  oppress  the  fatherless  or  the  widow. 

12.  Apply  thine  heart  unto  instruction,  and  thine  ears 
to  the  words  of  knowledge. 

This  exhortation  is  good  for  all  readers  and  hearers,  in  all  times 
and  circumstances,  but  probably  stands  here  with  a somewhat 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


155 


special  reference  to  the  admonitions  which  immediately  follow 
(23:  13-24:  22). 

13.  Withhold  not  correction  from  the  child:  for  if  thou 
oeatest  him  with  the  rod,  he  shall  not  die. 

14.  Thou  shalt  beat  him  with  the  rod,  and  shalt  deliver 
his  soul  from  hell. 

The  views  of  Solomon  in  respect  to  corporeal  suffering  inflicted 
for  the  discipline  of  the  young  are  given  in  slightly  varying  phrase 
yet  with  somewhat  frequent  repetition.  See  13:  24  and  19  : 18 
and  22:  15  and  29:  15,  17.  The  points  made  here  are — Let  not- 
parental  tenderness  withhold  the  rod  (when  milder  measures  fail)  ; 
thou  hast  no  need  to  fear  that  under  proper  correction  he  will  die ; 
far  otherwise;  for  if  thou  shalt  use  the  rod  judiciously,  thou  shalt 

rather  save  his  soul  from  the  death  eternal. On  the  question 

which  the  critics  will  raise  here,  whether  “hell"  [Sheol]  (v.  14) 
means  the  under-world  in  the  sense  merely  of  the  place  for  all 
the  dead  indiscriminately,  or  in  the  sense  of  the  abode  and  doom 
of  the  wicked,  the  true  view  seems  to  me  to  be  this:  The  death 
of  the  body  when  thought  of  as  a special  visitation  of  divine  judg- 
ment upon  the  wicked,  was  deemed  a pledge  and  precursor  of  the 
eternal  death  of  woe  beyond.  In  this  class  I would  put  the  case  of 
Korah  and  his  company  (Num.  16 : 29-33),  of  which  Moses  said ; “ If 
these  men  die  the  common  death  of  all  men,  or  if  they  be  visited 
after  the  visitation  of  all  men,  then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me. 
But  if  the  Lord  make  a new  thing,  and  the  earth  open  her  mouth 
and  swallow  them  up  with  all  that  appertain  unto  them  and  they 
go  down  quick”  [living]  “into  the  pit;  then  ye  shall  understand 

that  these  men  have  provoked  the  Lord.” Also  in  the  same 

class,  Ps.  9:  16,  17  and  Prov.  14:  32.  The  passage  before  us  is 
of  the  same  sort.  The  primary  sense  is  not — Thou  shalt  save  him 
from  ever  dying  a natural  death ; but  thou  shalt  save  him  from 
dying  under  the  judgment  of  God  for  his  sins — that  is,  from  the 
sudden,  awful  death  which  in  that  age  God  often  visited  upon  the 
incorrigibly  wicked — upon  specially  aggravated  sins  also,  e.  g .,  con- 
tempt of  parents.  Now  since  such  a death  under  the  wrath  of 
God  carried  with  it  eternal  death  also,  the  sense  clearly  must  be, 
Thou  shalt  save  his  soul  from  the  death  eternal. 

15.  My  son,  if  thine  heart  be  wise,  my  heart  shall  re- 
joice,  even  mine. 

16.  Yea,  my  reins  shall  rejoice,  when  thy  lips  speak  right 
things. 

Beautiful  outgushings  of  a father  s heart  are  these  ! How  deep 
are  the  fountains  of  his  joy  over  a truly  wise  son  ! How  does 
nis  very  heart  exult  when  a son’s  lips  speak  uprightly,  according 
to  truth  and  righteousness!  We  must  assume  that  this  father 
speaks  of  his  own  son ! 


156 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


17.  Let  not  thine  heart  envy  sinners ; but  be  thou  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  all  the  day  long. 

18.  For  surely  there  is  an  end;  and  thine  expectation 
shall  not  be  cut  off. 

Be  not  envious  toward  sinners  who  seem  to  he  prosperous,  hut 
abide  thou  permanently  in  thy  piety — the  “fear  of  the  Lord,”  com- 
prehending piety  in  all  its  relations,  involving  here  especially  the 

elements  of  faith  and  trust. “An  end”  (v.  18)  fails  to  give  the 

full  idea,  which  is : There  shall  be  an  after-part , correlated  to  the 
present,  which  shall  even  up  the  rewards  of  human  deeds  accord- 
ing to  justice.  This  involves  complete  reward  to  the  righteous. 
The  same  word  occurs  in  this  sense  (24:  14,  20)  where  our  Eng- 
lish version  properly  has  it  “reward.”  (See  also  Jer.  29:  11  and 
31:  17.)  In  most  of  these  cases  it  is  significantly  connected  with 
the  word  “expectation” — ground  of  hope  for  the  righteous.  The 
Lord  therefore  would  say  to  his  dutiful  children,  Be  not  troubled 
by  the  present  prosperity  of  the  wicked ; the  righteous  will  surely 
have  their  reward  in  due  time;  if  not  wholly  in  this  world,  yet 
without  fail  in  the  world  to  come.  Your  expectation  of  due  re- 
ward can  by  no  means  fail  in  the  end. 

19.  Hear  thou,  my  son,  and  be  wise,  and  guide  thine  heart 
in  the  way. 

"20.  Be  not  among  wine-bibbers  ; among  riotous  eaters  of 
flesh : 

21.  For  the  drunkard  and  the  glutton  shall  come  to  pov- 
erty: and  drowsiness  shall  clothe  a man  with  rags. 

Earnest  admonitions  against  drunkenness  and  gluttony.  Upon 
the  two  Hebrew  words  translated,  “riotous  eaters  of  flesh,”  the 
question  arises  whether  the  “flesh”  referred  to  is  that  of  animals 
eaten,  or  of  the  human  body  wasted  by  gluttony  and  a lascivious 
life.  The  lexicons  and  the  common  usage  of  the  Heb.  word  for 
flesh  [Ai#!!]  favor  the  latter,  yet  the  sort  of  correlated  use  of  the 

participle  for  “glutton”  against  “drunkard”  looks  toward  the 
other  construction.  (Compare  Deut.  21:  20.)  The  general  sense 
of  the  passage  is  scarcely  affected  by  this  diversity. 

22.  Hearken  unto  thy  father  that  begat  thee,  and  despise 
not  thy  mother  when  she  is  old. 

Let  thy  respect  for  thy  father  and  thy  mother  be  abiding — fresh 
and  strong  even  though  they  have  become  “old.”  Let  not  the 
notion  that  the  age  you  chance  to  live  in  is  “progressive”  flat- 
ter your  pride  into  the  assumption  that  your  wisdom  and  expe- 
rience are  better  than  theirs.  It  is  beautiful  to  see  the  honor  and 
regard  due  from  children  to  parents  cherished  their  life  long  in 
filial  bosoms.  God  sheds  his  blessings  on  such  sons  and  daughters, 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


* 157 


23.  Buy  the  truth,  and  sell  it  not;  also  wisdom,  and  in- 
struction, and  understanding. 

Get  hold  of  truth  at  any  cost;  pay  its  price  and  take  it;  but 
never  sell  it!  Part  with  it  for  no  consideration!  Its  value  is 

above  rubies ! To  expand  more  fully  the  idea  embraced  in 

the  word  “truth,”  he  subjoins — “wisdom,  instruction,  understand- 
ing.”  That  must  be  pre-eminently  precious  which  the  wise 

Solomon,  taught  of  God,  exhorts  us  to  buy  perpetually  but  never 
to  sell.  Obeying  this  direction,  we  shall  accumulate  a vast  store. 

24.  The  father  of  the  righteous  shall  greatly  rejoice  : and 
he  that  begetteth  a wise  child  shall  have  joy  of  him. 

25.  Thy  father  and  thy  mother  shall  be  glad,  and  she 
that  bare  thee  shall  rejoice. 

Compare  vs.  15,  16,  the  same  sentiment  which  is  expanded  and 
reiterated  here. 

26.  My  son,  give  me  thine  heart,  and  let  thine  eyes  ob- 
serve my  ways. 

The  heart  asked  for  here  includes  both  diligent  attention  and 
affectionate  confidence.  Cherish  my  words;  believe  them  and 

obey. Probably  as  the  words  stand  here,  they  have  special 

reference  to  the  exhortations  that  immediately  follow  — exhorta- 
tions so  vital  to  the  welfare  of  every  son  that  a father  might  well 
preface  them  with  this  beautiful  and  pertinent  entreaty. 

27.  For  a whore  is  a deep  ditch ; and  a strange  woman 
is  a narrow  pit. 

28.  She  also  lieth  in  wait  as  for  a prey,  and  increase th 
the  transgressors  among  men. 

Compare  22:  14.  The  point  of  the  fignre  is  that  her  victims 
will  never  or  almost  never  escape  from  her  deadly  grasp.  Once 
in  her  snare,  they  are  lost — lost  to  virtue,  lost  to  happiness,  lost 
to  society,  lost  as  to  their  own  welfare  for  this  world  and  for  all 

worlds! She  lieth  in  wait  as  a robber  [so  the  Hebrew],  and 

she  multiplieth  transgressors  among  men.  Many  of  the  otherwise 
strong  and  mighty  fall  before  her,  never  to  rise  again.  (Compare 
7 : 26,  27.)  The  observation  of  the  discerning  in  all  ages  confirms 
the  fearful  truth  so  strongly  put  here,  that  no  form  of  sin  holds  its 
victims  with  more  unyielding  grasp  than  this;  no  form  breaks 
down  all  self-recuperative  power  and  hurries  men  to  their  graves 
more  swiftly  or  more  fearfully. 

29.  Who  hath  wo  ? who  hath  sorrow?  who  hath  conten- 
tions ? who  hath  babbling  ? who  hath  wounds  without 
cause  ? who  hath  redness  of  eyes  ? 


158 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIII. 


30.  They  that  tarry  long  at  the  wine;  they  that  go  to 
seek  mixed  wine. 

31.  Look  thou  not  upon  the  wine  when  it  is  red,  when 
it  givetli  his  color  in  the  cup,  when  it  moveth  itself  aright. 

32.  At  the  last  it  biteth  like  a serpent,  and  stingeth  like 
an  adder. 

This  life-painting  of  the  drunkard’s  experiences  and  miseries  is 
done  with  a master’s  hand.  — — Where  will  you  look  for  woe  ? 
Where  for  sorrow  ? Where  for  the  grouping  of  all  these  terrible 
ills  (in  one  poor,  wretched  victim)?  Only  there — in  the  men  that 
tarry  long  over  their  wine,  protracting  their  carousals  deep  into 
the  midnight  hours — the  men  who  in  those  times  made  their  drink 

more  intoxicating  and  maddening  by  strong  spices.  At  this 

point  the  writer  fitly  interposes  the  warning — ‘“Look  not  on  the 
wine  when  it  is  red  (the  red  wine  being  stronger  than  the  white); 
when  it  sparkles  brilliantly  in  the  cup  ; when  it  flows  down 
the  throat  smoothly  with  a mellowness  free  from  astringency; 
for  though  it  has  these  bewitching  attractions  to  your  eye,  to 
your  taste,  and  to  your  excitable  nerves,  yet  at  the  last,  its 
bite  is  the  serpent’s  — its  sting,  the  adder’s!  The  word  ren- 

dered “ babbling  ” some  render  solicitude;  others,  complaint.  Bab- 
bling is  wonderfully  true  to  fact,  but  the  Hebrew  word  as  well 
as  the  drift  of  this  description  favor  the  sense  of  moaning,  sigh- 
ing— indications  of  trouble,  and  sorrow. Wounds  self-inflicted 

— which  have  no  necessary  cause,  and  which  the  wretched  man 

might  just  as  well  have  avoided  by  keeping  sober. “ Giveth  its 

color  in  the  cup,”  is  literally  its  eye , in  the  sense  of  its  “bead”  or 
sparkle. 

33.  Thine  eyes  shall  behold  strange  women,  and  thine 
heart  shall  utter  perverse  things. 

34.  Yea,  thou  shalt  be  as  he  that  lieth  down  in  the  midst, 
of  the  sea,  or  as  he  that  lieth  upon  the  top  of  a mast. 

35.  They  have  stricken  me,  shalt  thou  say , and  I was  not 
sick ; they  have  beaten  me,  and  I felt  it  not : when  shall  I 
awake  ? I will  seek  it  yet  again. 

The  intoxication  of  wine  fires  and  maddens  lascivious  pas- 
sion; thine  eyes  rove  toward  strange  women,  harlots.  Thine 
heart  utters  all  perverse  things;  frivolity,  obscenity,  profanity, 

pour  forth  from  the  heart  of  the  drunkard. Lying  down 

in  the  heart  of  the  sea  or  on  the  top  of  a mast,  swayed  to 
and  fro,  tossed  up  and  down  — may  be  supposed  to  indicate  the 
sensations  of  the  drunken  man ; or  more  probably  the  point  here 
intended  is  his  imminent  yet  unconscious  peril  His  sensations 
appear  in  the  next  verse.  In  point  of  peril,  he  is  like  a sailor-boy 
sleeping  in  his  frail  canoe  in  the  heart  of  the  rough  sea,  or  on  the 
top  of  the  rocking  mast.  Then,  half  rousing  from  his  stupor,  he 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIV. 


159 


says,  “They  have  stricken  me,  but  I was  not  sick;  they  have 
beaten  me;  I felt  it  not.  They  have  kicked  me  about;  thrown 
me  into  the  gutter.  Little  did  I know  or  care,  only  to  ask,  When 

will  this  stupor  be  off?  Then  I will  be  to  my  cups  again !” Oh, 

the  appetite  that  is  never  quenched!  Alas,  the  bands  strong  as 
death  that  bind  the  inebriate  to  this  worse  than  beastly  life — to 
this  destiny  of  shame  and  woe  ! 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

1.  Be  not  thou  envious  against  evil  men,  neither  desire 
to  be  with  them  : 

2.  For  their  heart  studieth  destruction,  and  their  lips 
talk  of  mischief. 

The  frequent  admonitions  of  the  Scriptures  ( e . g .,  Ps.  37  and 
73  and  Prov.  3:  31  and  23:  17  and  24:  19)  against  being  envious 
of  the  wicked  assume  that  they  often  prosper  in  this  world,  at 
least  for  a season,  and  that  we  need  to  be  reminded  that  a God 
of  retributive  justice  has  an  account  to  settle  with  them  except 
they  repent,  and  that  his  favor  is  more  to  us  than  all  earthly  good 
can  ever  be.  It  follows  that  God’s  children  never  can  have  any 
good  reason  for  being  envious  of  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked. 
The  special  point  added  here  is  a caution  against  being  intimate 
with  them  because  their  heart  will  plot  destruction  and  their  lips 
will  speak  evil.  Consequently  their  social  influence  over  you 
will  be  morally  perilous. 

3.  Through  wisdom  is  a house  builded ; and  by  under- 
standing it  is  established  : 

4.  And  by  knowledge  shall  the  chambers  be  filled  with 
all  precious  and  pleasant  riches. 

Wisdom  is  always  useful  in  its  application  to  the  common  busi- 
ness of  life.  It  helps  to  build  houses  well,  to  give  them  a firm 
foundation,  to  furnish  and  to  fill  their  chambers.  Perhaps  the 
gist  of  the  proverb  is  to  suggest  that  the  same  good  judgment 
which  proves  itself  so  useful  in  the  common  matters  of  our  ex- 
ternal life  must  be  worthy  of  our  confidence  and  of  our  diligent 
pursuit  and  careful  use  in  the  greater  and  more  vital  matters  of 
our  moral  and  eternal  life — the  treasures  to  be  garnered  in  “ the 
house  not  made  with  hands.” 

5.  A wise  man  is  strong  yea,  a man  of  knowledge  in- 
ereaseth  strength. 


160 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIV. 


6.  For  by  wise  counsel  thou  shalt  make  thy  war:  and 
in  multitude  of  counselors  there  is  safety. 

Wisdom  is  strength — the  version  which  Solomon  would  give  to 
the  modern  adage:  “Knowledge  is  power.”  In  Solomon’s  form 
of  statement  and  in  his  view  of  the  case,  it  is  not  every  kind  of 
knowledge  that  is  power.  This  can  be  said  only  of  that  knowledge 
of  practical  sort  which  works  itself  naturally  into  skillful  and 
right  doing,  which  enables  its  possessor  to  form  judicious  plans 

and  execute  them  efficiently. He  adds  that  this  is  eminently 

useful  in  war.  The  same  wisdom  of  judgment  should  rule  in  all 
the  great  questions  of  human  life,  and  most  of  all  in  those  which 
respect  man’s  relations  to  his  Maker.  Compare  Prov.  21 : 22  and 
20:  18  and  11:  14. 

7.  Wisdom  is  too  high  for  a fool : he  openeth  not  his 
mouth  in  the  gate. 

The  Hebrews  spake  of  things  difficult  of  attainment  as  being 
high.  So  Moses  said  of  the  commandments  which  God  had  given 
the  people  through  him  (Deut.  30:  12),  “It  is  not  in  heaven  that 
thou  shouldst  say,  Who  shall  go  up  for  us  to  heaven,  and  bring 

it  unto  us,  that  we  may  hear  it  and  do  it,”  etc. “ The  fool  will 

not  open  his  mouth  in  the  gate” — the  gate  being  the  place  for  the 
courts  of  justice  and  the  counsels  of  the  wise — for  wisdom  there- 
fore and  knowledge — far  too  high  for  the  fool  to  reach.  That  is, 
therefore,  no  place  for  him ; he  has  not  the  first  element  of  fitness 
for  such  responsibilities. 

8.  He  that  deviseth  to  do  evil  shall  be  called  a mischiev- 
ous person. 

This  proverb  gives  the  name  which  the  bad  man  here  described 
will  get  and  ought  to  get  in  the  community.  If  he  is  known  to 
give  his  mind  to  schemes  of  mischief,  men  will  call  him  a master - 
mischief-maker.  He  may  have  the  honor  of  being  lord  (in  Heb. 
“ baal”],  but  it  is  lord  of  mischief-plotting.  Let  him  wear  his 
honors. 

9.  The  thought  of  foolishness  is  sin:  and  the  scorner  is 
an  abomination  to  men. 

The  word  for  “thought”  [n.3 ?]  is  stronger  [toward  mischief] 

than  a mere  idea  or  mental  conception.  It  describes  crafty  cun- 
ning schemes  of  folly.  Solomon  declares  that  this  is  sin. All 

men  abominate  the  scorner,  the  man  who  has  no  respect  for  his 
fellows,  but,  lifting  himself  proudly  above  them,  would  fain  look 
down  upon  them  scornfully.  Who  can  love  or  esteem  such  a 
spirit  ? 

10.  If  thou  faint  in  the  day  of  adversity,  thy  strength  is 
small. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIV. 


161 


The  Hebrew  plays  somewhat  upon  the  words  of  this  proverb — • 
u If  thou  faint  in  the  day  of  straitness , thy  strength  is  straitened, 
t.  e .,  shut  up,  limited,  of  small  account..  The  day  of  straitness 
comes  to  test  man’s  strength ; let  him  see  to  it  that  he  proves 
himself  equal  to  his  emergency. 

11.  If  thou  forbear  to  deliver  them  that  are  drawn  unto 
death,  and  those  that  are  ready  to  be  slain : 

12.  If  thou  sayest,  Behold,  we  knew  it  not ; doth  not  he 
that  pondereth  the  heart  consider  it  t and  he  that  keepeth 
thy  soul,  doth  not  he  know  itf  and  shall  not  he  render 
to  every  man  according  to  his  works  ? 

While  the  general  sentiment  of  this  passage  is  expressed  in  the 
English  version,  the  more  precise  translation  is  no  less  strong  and 
pertinent,  thus:  “Deliver  those  who  are  borne  toward  death;  O 
do  thou  rescue  those  who  move  on  trembling  toward  the  slaughter, 
^or  shouldst  thou  say,  “ Behold,  we  have  not  known  this  [man], 
me  Ponderer  [Searcher]  of  hearts — will  not  He  detect;  the 
Watcher  of  thy  soul — will  not  He  know;  and  will  He  not  requite 

to  man  as  his  work  ” [may  be]  ? The  innocent  and  helpless  are 

seen  dragged  away  to  their  death ; the  voice  of  God  comes  through 
the  inspired  proverb — Rush  thou  to  the  rescue  ! If  thou  shouldest 
say,  That  man  is  a stranger,  we  know  him  not : of  what  concern 
is  his  case  to  us  ? will  not  the  Great  God  fathom  thy  selfish 
heart,  and  prove  thy  lying  lips,  and  hold  thee  to  a stern  and 
solemn  responsibility  to  meet  the  claims  of  our  common  humanity  ? 

In  ancient  as  in  modern  times,  cases  of  unjust  arraignment 

and  causeless  prosecution  might  not  unfrequently  arise  under  the 
despotic  governments  of  oriental  countries.  In  our  age  we  have 
seen  a whole  race  causelessly  crushed  under  a cruel  and  often 
deadly  bondage.  Here  is  God’s  view  of  the  responsibility  and 
duty,  not  of  professedly  good  men  only,  but  of  every  living  man, 
toward  such  sufferers. 

13.  My  son,  eat  thou  honey,  because  it  is  good ; and  the 
honeycomb,  which  is  sweet  to  thy  taste : 

14.  So  shall  the  knowledge  of  wisdom  be  unto  thy  soul  : 
when  thou  hast  found  it , then  there  shall  be  a reward,  and 
thy  expectation  shall  not  be  cut  off. 

Inasmuch  as  the  sweetness  of  wisdom  to  the  soul  is  manifestly 
compared  to  the  sweetness  of  honey  to  the  taste,  it  seems  better  tc 
read  v.  13,  not  as  a command  to  eat  honey,  but  as  a comparison  ; 
uAs  thou  dost  eat  honey  because  it  is  good  and  sweet  upon  thy 
palate ; So  get  thou  the  knowledge  of  wisdom,  for  it  shall  be  nc 
less  sweet  to  thy  soul.  Its  rewards  are  sure  to  all  who  find,  and 
their  expectation  of  good  therefrom  can  by  no  means  fail. 

15.  Lay  not  wait,  O wicked  man , against  the  dwelling 
of  the  righteous ; spoil  not  his  resting  place : 


162 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  XXIV. 


16.  For  a just  man  falleth  seven  times,  and  riseth  up 
again : but  the  wicked  shall  fall  into  mischief. 

The  tacit  assumption  here  is  that  just  men  are  helped  to  rise 
by  their  Great  Protector  and  Defender.  “Seven,”  a round  for  a 
large  indefinite  number,  means  that  however  often  he  may  fall,  he 
will  rise  again.  Take  heed,  therefore,  0 thou  wicked  man,  lest 

thou  be  found  fighting  against  God ! Also  this  sentiment  is 

here — that  while  the  just  shall  surely  rise  after  his  fall,  no  such 
rising  is  to  be  the  lot  of  the  wicked.  Their  fall  is  to  be  final  and 
fatal. 

17.  Rejoice  not  when  thine  enemy  falleth,  and  let  not 
thine  heart  be  glad  when  he  stumbleth  : 

18.  Lest  the  Lord  see  it,  and  it  displease  him,  and  he 
turn  away  his  wrath  from  him. 

Does  the  writer  express  a doubt  whether  the  Lord  will  see  your 
joy  over  your  fallen  enemy,  and  whether  it  will  displease  him  ? 
I judge  that  the  word  “lest”  should  not  be  pressed  so  as  to  im- 
ply any  uncertainty  on  this  point.  God  will  surely  know  it  if  we 
exult  over  a fallen  enemy  ! He  does  not  expect  us  to  interpret  his 
providences  to  the  extent  of  assuming  that  we  can  determine  for 
what  particular  sin  he  sends  special  judgments,  and  may  infer 
from  the  calamities  that  befall  our  enemy  that  God  has  taken 

our  side  in  our  controversy. The  moral  tone  of  this  proverb 

is  high — nothing  lower  than  to  love  our  enemies  and  cherish  kind- 
ness and  pity  toward  them  in  their  calamity. “ And  he  [God] 

turns  away  his  wrath  from  him”  [thine  enemy],  seems  tacitly  to 
imply  that  he  also  turns  it  against  thee. 

19.  Fret  not  thyself  because  of  evil  men,  neither  be  thou 
envious  at  the  wicked ; 

20.  For  there  shall  be  no  reward  to  the  evil  man;  the 
candle  of  the  wdcked  shall  be  put  out. 

The  reason  assigned  here  against  fretfulness  and  envy  toward 
the  wicked  is  that  there  is  really  nothing  in  their  lot  that  should 
excite  such  feelings.  Far  otherwise.  Alas ! they  have  no  reward, 
no  blessed  future : their  lamp  of  light  and  hope  shall  go  out  in 
eternal  darkness  ! O how  little  dost  thou  understand  their  case 
and  their  doom  when  thou  art  envious  of  their  prosperity!  Rather 
come  and  drop  a tear  over  their  mad  infatuation  and  their  bitter 
end ! 

21.  My  son,  fear  thou  the  Lord  and  the  king  r and 
meddle  not  with  them  that  are  given  to  change : 

22.  For  their  calamity  shall  rise  suddenly ; and  who 
knoweth  the  ruin  of  them  both  ? 

The  king,  as  appointed  of  God  to  rule  over  men,  should  be 


PROVERBS  -CHAP.  XXIV. 


163 


nonored  and  feared,  for  reasons  similar  to  those  which  demand  of 
us  homage  and  reverence  toward  God.  Have  no  association  with 
those  who  are  fickle  and  revolutionary,  never  satisfied  with  things 
as  they  are.  Such  men  are  sure  to  meet  a swift  and  fearful  retri- 
bution! Take  heed  lest  thou  perish  with  them ! “The  ruin  of 

them  both”  is  the  destruction  inflicted  upon  these  traitors  and 
rebels  by  both  God  and  the  king.  The  ruin  of  them  is  not  the 
ruin  they  experience,  but  the  ruin  they  inflict. 

23.  These  things  also  belong  to  the  wise.  It  is  not  good 
to  have  respect  of  persons  in  judgment. 

The  remaining  part  of  this  chapter  seems  to  be  a special  appen- 
dix.  The  sin  of  having  respect  of  persons  in  judicial  decisions 

is  so  flagrant  and  withal  was  so  common  that  Solomon  reiterates 
his  rebuke  of  it.  See  18 : 5 and  notes  there.  Also  28:  21. 

24.  He  that  saith  unto  the  wicked,  Thou  art  righteous; 
him  shall  the  people  curse,  nations  shall  abhor  him : 

25.  But  to  them  that  rebuke  him  shall  be  delight,  and  a 
good  blessing  shall  come  upon  them. 

“He  that  saith,”  i.  e .,  in  his  place  as  a judge,  in  his  judicial 
decisions,  to  which  the  proverb  has  special  reference.  To  say  this 
under  any  circumstances  is  wrong,  but  to  say  it  as  a civil  judge 
is  a most  flagrant  wrong.  The  thing  said  here  is  that  such  a 
judge  shall  be  execrated  by  all  mankind.  All  the  good,  all  who 
appreciate  the  need  of  civil  government  for  its  legitimate  purposes 
of  justice  to  the  otherwise  defenseless,  will  abhor  and  even  curse 
him.  But  the  judge  who  rebukes  the  evil  doer  shall  be  a delight, 
regarded  with  favor  and  gratitude.  Blessings  of  goodness  shall 
come  upon  him ; the  good  will  wish  him  well  and  give  him  their 
benediction. 

26.  Every  man  shall  kiss  his  lips  that  giveth  a right 
answer. 

Probably  the  same  subject  continues  before  the  mind.  If  so, 
this  right  answer  is  either  the  right  decision  of  the  judge,  or  the 
right  testimony  of  the  witness  whose  evidence  promotes  the  ends 
of  justice.  “ Men  will  kiss  his  lips,”  thus  expressing  their  love 
and  esteem. 

27.  Prepare  thy  work  without,  and  make  it  fit  for  thy- 
self in  the  field ; and  afterward  build  thine  house. 

In  the  climate  of  Palestine  this  was  doubtless  good  advice. 
Look  first  to  your  grounds;  prepare  them  for  the  seed  and  secure 
your  harvests  in  their  season : this  done,  turn,  if  you  will,  to  house- 
building. Till  then  live  in  tents  ; any  mere  shelter  from  the  storm 
will  suffice  you.  Houses  were  rather  luxuries  than  necessities. 


164 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIV. 


28.  Be  not  a witness  against  thy  neighbor  without  cause  ; 
and  deceive  not  with  thy  lips. 

Perhaps  the  most  vital  question  touching  the  sense  and  bearing 
of  this  proverb  is — Does  it  assume  that  “ thy  neighbor”  is  inno- 
cent, or  does  it  apply  in  a case  where  he  is  guilty  ? If  “ thy 
neighbor”  is  here  assumed  to  be  innocent,  the  writer  means,  Be 
not  a witness  against  him  with  no  foundation  of  truth  for  your  testi- 
mony— with  no  just  cause.  Why  should  you  deceive  with  your 
lips  to  bring  evil  upon  the  innocent?  Why  (according  to  the  next 
verse)  should  you  cherish  the  spirit  of  retaliation,  taking  vengeance 

into  your  own  hand  for  some  supposed  injury  done  yourself? 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  writer  does  not  assume  the  innocence  of 
“ thy  neighbor  ” but  tacitly  admits  his  guilt,  the  admonition  would 
lie  against  being  officious  in  reporting  all  the  evil  you  may  know 
against  your  neighbor;  e.  g.,  in  a case  not  sufficiently  flagrant  to 
call  for  judicial  investigation.  Make  no  gratuitous  exposure  of 
trivial  offenses ; do  not  appear  as  a witness  unless  the  greater  good 
require  it.  The  latter  sense  is,  for  ought  I see,  admissible,  yet,  on 
the  whole,  I prefer  the  former  as  being  more  in  harmony  with  the 
latter  clause  of  the  verse.  This  latter  clause,  if  we  accept  the 
punctuation  of  the  Ideb.  text,  should  read  interrogatively — “And 
wilt  thou  deceive  with  thy  lips?  Will  you  permit  your  malign 
feelings  to  lead  you  into  actual  falsehood  for  the  sake  of  bringing 
punishment  upon  your  innocent  neighbor?” 

29.  Say  not,  I will  do  so  to  him  as  he  hath  done  to  me : 
I will  render  to  the  man  according  to  his  work. 

See  20:  22  and  notes  there.  Personal  retaliation  assumes  to 
take  the  administration  of  justice  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Almighty, 
as  if  you  could  not-  wait  his  time,  or  had  no  confidence  in  his 
justice.  Can  you  hope  to  please  God  by  such  implied  imputations 
against  him  and  by  thus  assuming  his  prerogatives?  Can  you 
suppose  that  He  will  quietly  resign  his  throne  to  you  that  you  may 
gratify  your  excited  passion,  or  even  what  you  suppose  to  be  your 
just  indignation?  Remember  who  has  said,  “Vengeance  is  mine; 
1 will  repay.” 

30.  I went  by  the  field  of  the  slothful,  and  by  the  vine- 
yard of  the  man  void  of  understanding ; 

31.  And,  lo,  it  was  all  grown  over  with  thorns,  and  net- 
tles had  covered  the  face  thereof,  and  the  stone  wall  thereof 
was  broken  down. 

Remarkably  Solomon  associates  sloth  with  folly,  as  if  he  as- 
sumed that  every  sensible  and  wise  man  will  be  industrious  and  will 

take  good  care  of  his  farm  and  garden. But  on  the  grounds  of 

the  slothful,  void  understanding,  all  is  dilapidated  and  desolate ! 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXV. 


165 


32.  Then  I saw,  and  considered  it  well : I looked  upon  it, 
and  received  instruction. 

33.  Yet  a little  sleep,  a little  slumber,  a little  folding  of 
the  hands  to  sleep : 

34.  So  shall  thy  poverty  come  as  one  that  traveleth; 
and  thy  want  as  an  armed  man. 

I studied  that  spectacle  diligently  and  long,  and  I found  it  truly 
instructive.  See  what  I learned  then  of  the  ways  of  the  slothful : 
UA  little  more  sleep,”  said  he,  “a  little  more  slumber” — more, 
more,  and  yet  more  ! “So  ” [if  thou  doest]  shall  thy  poverty  come 
like  a highwayman  [“one  that  traveleth”],  and  his  coming  will 
break  upon  thee  at  dead  of  night,  in  the  depth  of  thy  fancied 

security,  and  he  gives  no  note  of  warning! This  scene  affords 

us  a symbol — at  once  vivid  and  but  too  truthful — of  the  moral  ruin 
which  comes  over  the  soul  of  the  spiritual  sluggard.  He,  too, 
makes  this  the  law  of  his  life — “A  little  more  sleep,  a little  more 
slumber  ” — a little  more  procrastination  of  life’s  chief  work,  heed- 
lessly quenching  the  sense  of  present  duty,  drowning  his  more 
grave  convictions  under  the  din  and  roar  of  earthly  bustle;  study- 
ing evermore  to  be  so  engrossed  with  cares  or  with  pleasures  as 
never  to  think  deeply  and  solemnly  of  God  and  of  his  own  mo- 
mentous responsibilities : so  he  sleeps  and  dreams  life  away ; but 
his  soul,  ah,  how  desolate  of  moral  culture  and  of  moral  fruit  unto 
God ! Oh,  those  thorns  and  weeds  of  sinful  growth ; and  what 
shall  be  the  end  thereof?  So  shall  thy  poverty  come  like  the 
mounted  highwayman — thy  want  like  an  armed  man  ! 


CHAPTEE  XXV. 

1.  These  are  also  proverbs  of  Solomon,  which  the  men 
of  Hezekiah  king  of  J udah  copied  out. 

The  portion  of  the  book  commencing  here  (chaps.  25-29)  was 
transcribed  and  compiled  by  men  appointed  to  this  service  by 
king  Hezekiah.  It  is  of  small  account  to  us  to  inquire  in  whose 
keeping  they  had  been  during  the  period  of  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  years  since  the  death  of  Solomon ; how  many  copies 
of  them  were  in  existence ; or  why  these  were  not  introduced  intc 
the  sacred  canon  at  the  same  time  with  the  earlier  portions  of 
this  book.  The  bar  to  such  inquiries  is  that  we  know  nothing  on 

the  subject  and  have  no  means  of  knowing. Who  those  men 

were,  of  literary  taste  or  of  religious  sympathy,  who  made  and 
kept  copies  of  these  admirable  proverbs ; whether  or  not  they  bore 
public  responsibilities  and  acted  in  that  ‘capacity,  there  remain  no 


166 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XXV. 


data  for  determining.  It  must  suffice  us  to  know  that  these  pro- 
verbs were  extant ; that  they  came  to  the  knowledge  of  Hezekiah ; 
and  that  he  employed  suitable  men  to  copy  them  and  append  them 
as  we  see  here,  to  the  previously  compiled  proverbs  of  Solomon. 

2.  It  is  the  glory  of  God  to  conceal  a thing : but  the 
honor  of  kings  is  to  search  out  a matter. 

The  form  of  the  antithesis  here  is  quite  remarkable.  It  is  God’s 
glory  that  his  ways  are  unsearchable,  past  finding  out,  and  that 
he  takes  none  into  his  secret  counsels  to  avail  himself  of  their 
wisdom,  but  in  this  sense  rules  the  universe  alone , in  his  own  in- 
finite knowledge,  wisdom  and  love.  The  case  of  human  kings  is 
not  put  in  precise  contrast  with  this.  The  writer  only  says  that 
it  is  their  glory  to  search  out  every  matter  upon  which  they  have 
occasion  to  act  officially — their  glory  to  understand  it  fully  before 
they  take  action.  In  this  restricted  sense,  it  is  their  glory  to  search 
out,  while  as  to  his  own  plans,  it  is  God’s  glory  to  conceal. 

3.  The  heaven  for  height,  and  the  earth  for  depth,  and 
the  heart  of  kings  is  unsearchable. 

As  the  heaven  is  too  high  and  the  earth  too  deep  to  be  explored, 
so  is  the  heart  of  kings.  They  hold  a position  so  removed  from 
their  subjects;  they  may,  at  least  if  they  choose,  seclude  themselves 
so  much  from  intimate  association  and  may  so  thoroughly  keep 
their  secrets  to  themselves  that  no  man  can  search  them  out. 

4.  Take  away  the  dross  from  the  silver,  and  there  shall 
come  forth  a vessel  for  the  finer. 

5.  Take  away  the  wicked  from  before  the  king,  and  his 
throne  shall  be  established  in  righteousness. 

As  the  dross  must  be  removed  from  the  silver  to  render  it 
malleable  and  fit  to  be  wrought  into  vessels  by  the  artist,  so  let 
wicked  men  be  taken  away  from  before  the  king,  let  them  have  no 
place  in  his  counsels ; then  shall  his  throne  be  established  in  right- 
eousness. Bad  men  are  to  him  and  to  his  throne  what  dross  is  to 
silver. 

6.  Put  not  forth  thyself  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  and 
stand  not  in  the  place  of  great  men : 

7.  For  better  it  is  that  it  be  said  unto  thee,  Come  up 
hither;  than  that  thou  shouldest  be  put  lower  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  prince  whom  thine  eyes  have  seen. 

Do  not  make  a display  of  thyself  in  presence  of  the  king  and 
thrust  thyself  into  the  place  of  the  great ; for  it  is  better  that  thou^ 
shouldest  be  invited  to  go  up  higher  than  to  be  put  lower  in  the 

presence  of  the  prince. The  reader  will  be  struck  with  the 

close  resemblance  of  this  sentiment  to  that  propounded  by  oui 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXV. 


167 


Lord  (Luke  14:  8-11).  It  is  a principle  of  wide  application  and 
of  the  soundest  wisdom. 

8.  Go  not  forth  hastily  to  strive,  lest  thou  know  not  what 
to  do  in  the  end  thereof,  when  thy  neighbor  hath  put  thee 
to  shame. 

The  precise  translation  is  thus : “ Go  not  rashly  into  strife  lest — 
what  wilt  thou  do  in  the  latter  end  thereof?’’  We  may  take 
“what”  as  essentially  an  interrogative ; or  we  may  supply  other 

words  as  in  the  English  version. Prof.  Stuart  gives  it — “Lest 

thou  shouldest  do  something  in  the  latter  end,”  etc.,  i.  e .,  something 

desperate,  outrageous;  something  to  be  ashamed  of. The  sense 

is  obvious  and  "full  of  wisdom.  Beware  of  plunging  yourself 
rashly  into  strife. 

9.  Debate  thy  cause  with  thy  neighbor  himself ; and  dis- 
cover not  a secret  to  another  : 

10.  Lest  he  that  heareth  it  put  thee  to  shame,  and  thine 
infamy  turn  not  away. 

The  mutual  relation  of  all  the  points  made  in  these  verses  is 
not  absolutely  certain.  The  choice  seems  to  lie  between  these 
two  constructions:  (1)  If  dispute  or  controversy  arise  between 
thy  neighbor  and  thyself,  keep  it  between  yourselves,  and  disclose 
not  to  him  any  secret  you  may  have  in  your  keeping  which  would 
bear  injuriously  or  offensively  upon  him,  lest  hearing  it,  he  should 
be  irritated,  and  the  difference  between  you  become  irreconcilable, 
to  your  perpetual  shame.  Or  (2)  thus  : Disclose  nothing  to  others 
which  ought  to  remain  a secret  between  your  neighbor  and  your- 
self lest  he  hear  of  it,  and  so  it  shall  work  his  irritation  and  your 
shame.  In  either  construction  it  is  a caution  against  being  tempted 
to  betray  secrets  unwisely  and  worst  of  all,  maliciously,  by  any 
variance  between  yourself  and  your  neighbor. 

11.  A word  fitly  spoken  is  lilce  apples  of  gold  in  pictures 
of  silver. 

“Fitly  spoken,”  spoken  in  the  fitting  time  and  wisely  adapted 
to  all  the  circumstances.  As  to  the  precise  thing  to  which  it  is 
here  compared,  critics  differ,  leaving  us  to  choose  between  (1) 
.some  actual  fruit,  e.  g.,  not  American  apples  in  Asia,  but  quinces 
or  citrons  of  gold  color,  served  in  a dish  ornamented  with  silver ; 
and  (2)  real  gold  and  silver,  wrought  into  tapestry,  to  be  suspended 
for  ornamental  purposes.  In  either  construction  the  figure  is 
beautiful,  and  sets  forth  a very  beautiful  scene  in  social  life.  Let 
him  who  would  make  social  life  a thing  of  beauty  and  joy,  study 
how  to  put  in  “words  fitly  spoken”  on  every  opportune  occasion. 
The  original  word  used  here  I take  to  mean  precisely,  according 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

8 


168 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXV. 


12.  As  an  ear-ring  of  gold,  and  an  ornament  of  fine  gold, 
so  is  a wise  reprover  upon  an  obedient  ear. 

Reproof  wisely  given  and  kindly  received,  or  rather,  the  man 
who  administers  reproof  wisely,  tenderly,  to  one  who  opens  his 
ear  and  his  heart  thankfully  to  hear  and  to  profit  thereby,  are 
next  compared  to  the  finest  ornament  of  gold — a scene  in  the  social 
and  moral  world  the  beauty  of  which  Solomon  had  an  eye  to  see, 
a heart  to  appreciate,  and  a pen  to  describe  with  exquisite  charm. 
Such  moral  culture,  such  winning  ways  to  draw  the  young  from 
folly  to  wisdom,  are  indeed  more  angelic  than  any  ornament  of 
fine  gold  can  avail  to  represent.  Note  the  admirable  spirit  of  the 
Psalmist  (141:  5). 

13.  As  the  cold  of  snow  in  the  time  of  harvest,  so  is  a 
faithful  messenger  to  them  that  send  him:  for  he  refresheth 
the  soul  of  his  masters. 

Ice-water  in  a hot  summer  day  gives  us  the  true  sense  of  this 
figure.  So  is  a reliable  messenger  to  his  employers.  They  can 
trust  him  and  they  are  refreshed  by  his  fidelity  to  his  trust. 

14.  Whoso  boasteth  himself  of  a false  gift  is  like  clouds 
and  wind  without  rain. 

It  matters  little  whether  this  false  p.  £.,  deceitful]  gift  is  false 
in  its  quality , being  really  worthless,  or  false  as  to  the  promise  of 
giving,  this  promise  being  fulfilled  in  no  sense  whatever,  nothing 
at  all  being  given.  The  original  will  bear  either  construction. 
The  figure — clouds  and  wind,  but  no  rain — looks  specially  to  the 
great  parade  of  promise,  set  off  against  the  utter  failure  of  per- 
formance. 

15.  By  long  forbearing  is  a prince  persuaded,  and  a soft 
tongue  breaketh  the  bone. 

If  you  have  occasion  to  persuade  a prince,  be  very  patient  and 
keep  your  temper;  use  gentle  persuasions,  but  no  irritating  re- 
proaches or  stern  demands. The  pertinence  of  the  figure,  “a 

soft  tongue  breaketh  the  bone,”  may  not  be  at  first  view  particu- 
larly obvious.  A soft  tongue  would  be  in  itself  a very  insufficient 
hammer  upon  a hard  bone.  But  in  the  animal  world,  the  soft 
tongue  belongs  to  the  flesh-eating  and  bone-cranching  species, 
while  the  rough,  corrugated  tongue  characterizes  the  grass-eating. 
The  soft  tongue  therefore  is  mighty,  not  in  itself,  but  in  its  accom- 
paniments— the  sharp  incisors  and  the  powerful  jaws.  The  figure 
is  therefore  exquisitely  pertinent:  the  soft  tongue,  apparently  at 
first  view  a powerless  thing  upon  hard  bone,  but  in  its  accom- 
paniments strikingly  effective,  well  represents  the  almost  magic 
power  of  soft  words  to  soothe  the  roughest  souls  and  break  the 
toughest  hearts. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXV. 


169 


16.  Hast  thou  found  honey?  eat  so  much  as  is  sufficient 
for  thee,  lest  thou  be  filled  therewith,  and  vomit  it. 

The  gist  of  this  proverb  is,  Beware  lest  you  eat  too  much;  be 
careful  to  eat  no  more  than  will  suffice  you ; no  more  than  your 

stomach  can  bear. In  Palestine,  honey  was  found  wild  and 

often  naturally  in  large  quantities,  by  hungry  men.  Hence  the 
temptation  to  excess,  and  hence  this  caution,  the  spirit  of  which 
should  pass  over  to  every  form  of  animal  indulgence.  In  the  hour 
of  abundance,  and  in  the  face  of  its  temptations,  guard  against 
excess.  The  reaction  of  abused  nature  is  by  no  means  comfortable. 

17.  Withdraw  thy  foot  from  thy  neighbor’s  house ; lest 
he  be  weary  of  thee,  and  so  hate  thee. 

The  Heb.  verb  for  “ withdraw”  [^p^]  in  the  form  which  occurs 

here,  may  mean  either  to  make  precious  or  to  make  rare.  It  per- 
haps suggested  to  the  Hebrew  reader  the  sense:  make  precious  by 
making  rare;  make  your  presence  more  sought  for  by  never  over- 
doing your  calls  to  the  annoyance  and  disgust  of  your  neighbor. 
“Lest  he  be  weary” — sated , as  a man  who  has  eaten  too  much 
honey — the  writer  using  the  same  word  here  as  in  the  next  pre- 
ceding proverb  for  the  effect  of  excess  in  the  use  of  honey.  This 
proverb  seems  to  be  correlated  to  that. 

18.  A man  that  beareth  false  witness  against  his  neigh- 
bor is  a maul,  and  a sword,  and  a sharp  arrow. 

None  of  these  death-weapons  are  more  terrible  than  the  false 
and  slanderous  tongue,  perjuring  itself  in  order  to  ruin  a neigh- 
bor in  the  vital  issues  of  a trial  before  the  courts  of  justice.  Slan- 
der anywhere,  under  any  circumstances,  is  a death-weapon  wielded 
against  a mans  good  name — such  a name  being  often  felt  to  be 
dearer  to  man  or  to  woman  than  life. 

19.  Confidence  in  an  unfaithful  man  in  time  of  trouble 
is  like  a broken  tooth,  and  a foot  out  of  joint. 

As  a broken  tooth  for  eating,  and  a foot  out  of  joint  for  walk- 
ing, so  is  confidence  in  a faithless  man  in  the  time  when  you  really 
need  him.  You  lean  on  him,  and  he  not  only  fails  you  but  fills 
you  with  pain. 

20.  As  he  that  taketh  away  a garment  in  cold  wreatlier, 
and  as  vinegar  upon  nitre : so  is  he  that  singeth  songs  to  an 
heavy  heart. 

This  “taking  away  of  a garment”  is  not  the  robbery  of  an- 
other man,  but  rather  the  laying  off  of  one’s  own  principal,  outside 

garment  in  a cool  day — unsuitable  and  dangerous. The  word 

“nitre”  here  (as  in  Jer.  2:  22)  is  not  the  article  known  now  un- 
der that  name,  i.  e.  salt-petre,  a neutral  salt  which  is  not  specially 


170 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXV. 


disturbed  by  the  application  of  vinegar;  but  it  represents  a min- 
eral alkali  well  known  in  Palestine  and  much  used  with  oil  in  the 
manufacture  of  soap.  Vinegar  applied  to  this,  produces  an  ac- 
tive effervescence  under  which  both  the  alkali  and  the  acid  lose 
their  peculiar  properties.  The  point  of  the  comparison  is  the  dis- 
turbance, the  commotion,  the  signals  of  repellency  which  are 
thrown  out.  So  is  the  singing  of  jovial  songs  to  a sad  heart — a thing 
uncongenial,  repulsive,  which  stirs  up  a most  unwelcome  effer- 
vescence in  the  soul.  Or  according  to  the  first  figure,  it  gives  you 
the  chills.  In  his  hours  of  joy  the  same  man  who  is  now  sad 
might  love  that  music  and  welcome  its  sentiment;  but  how  can 
his  heart  endure  it  in  his  days  of  sadness  ? 

21.  If  thine  enemy  be  hungry,  give  him  bread  to  eat;  and 
if  he  be  thirsty,  give  him  water  to  drink : 

22.  For  thou  slialt  heap  coals  of  fire  upon  his  head,  and 
the  Lord  shall  reward  thee. 

V.  22  means,  For  in  this  ivay  thou  wilt  heap  coals,  etc.  'The 
specification  of  bread  to  your  enemy  when  hungry,  water  when 
thirsty,  of  course  represents  any  and  every  act  of  kindness  and 
love.  The  sentiment  is — Love  your  enemies  and  show  it  by  doing 
them  good.  So  you  may  melt  down  the  ice  of  their  frozen  hearts, 

or  as  the  Hebrew  figure  puts  it — of  their  frozen  heads. The 

critics  have  raised  the  question  whether  these  “ coals  of  fire  ” de- 
note the  retributive  vengeance  of  God  in  punishment  for  your  en- 
emy’s sin,  or  the  subduing  power  of  love  which  your  kindness 
would  bring  to  bear  upon  a cold  heart.  In  my  judgment  the  for- 
mer must  be  rejected;  the  latter  accepted — the  universal  law  of 
human  nature  being  that  kindness,  manifested  love,  in  requital 
for  unkindness  and  hate,  has  power  above  every  thing  else  possible 
to  man  to  melt  frigid  souls.  Done  with  this  kind  intent,  God  will 
reward  it.  The  figure  requires  us  to  think  of  the  effect  of  kind- 
ness as  shown  by  a man  to  his  enemy,  and  not  of  any  retribution 

from  God  upon  him. See  how  Paul  (Rom.  12 : 20)  cites  and 

uses  this  passage.  Dismiss  (says  he)  all  thought  of  vengeance; 
leave  vengeance  to  God  alone,  and  turn  thine  heart  wholly  to  kind- 
ness : so  shalt  thou  overcome  evil  with  good.  Our  Lord  has  the 
same  doctrine  in  its  comprehensive  form  (Mat.  5:  44):  “Love 
your  enemies,”  etc.  The  same  doctrine  of  morality,  the  same 
law  of  love,  appears  in  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New. 
A sublimely  glorious  doctrine  indeed ! 

23.  The  north  wind  driveth  away  rain : so  doth  an  angry 
countenance  a backbiting  tongue. 

The  sense  of  the  English  margin,  and  not  that  of  the  English 
text,  is  now  accepted  by  all  modern  critics:  “A  wind  from  the 
north  (probably  north-west  more  precisely)  drives  on  [not  drives 
away]  the  rain — the  great  rain  storms  of  Palestine  coming  from 
the  Mediterranean.  So  does  a backbiting  tongue  by  its  covert 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXV. 


171 


slander  bring  on  a dark,  lowering  face,  a soul  full  of  indignation. 
Every  man  instinctively  abhors  the  sly  insinuations  of  slander,  es- 
pecially when  himself  is  the  victim. 

24.  It  is  better  to  dwell  in  the  corner  of  the  house-top, 
than  with  a brawling  woman  and  in  a wide  house. 

In  21:  9,  we  have  the  same  language;  in  21:  19,  the  samo 
sentiment. 

25.  As  cold  waters  to  a thirsty  soul,  so  is  good  news  from 
a far  country. 

It  is  assumed  that  this  good  news  not  only  comes  from  far  but 
from  a dear  friend.  Such  news  brings  a wealth  of  joy,  fitly  com- 
pared to  cold  water  to  one  suffering  from  heat  and  thirst. 

26.  A righteous  man  falling  down  before  the  wicked  is  as 
a troubled  fountain,  and  a corrupt  spring. 

Oriental  travelers  are  often  sadly  disappointed  to  find  the  foun- 
tain in  the  desert  which  they  have  traveled  far  to  reach  “troubled” 
and  “corrupted” — tramped  and  fouled — by  the  feet  and  the  offal 
of  camels,  asses — every  animal  of  the  desert.  Having  hoped  for 
pure,  wholesome  water,  they  look  with  sad  and  sinking  heart  upon 
this  loathsome  mass.  Such  is  the  spectacle  when  a righteous  man 
succumbs  before  the  wicked.  It  would  be  a most  welcome  sight 
to  see  him  stand  up  a bold  witness  for  truth  and  righteousness. 
It  is  deplorably  sad  to  see  him  bowing  abjectly  before  the  wicked, 
whether  in  moral  or  in  physical  weakness,  but  most  in  moral. 

27.  l£  is  not  good  to  eat  much  honey  : so  for  men  to  search 
their  own  glory  is  not  glory. 

Very  different  constructions  have  been  put  upon  this  proverb. 
The  Heb.  words  do  not  determine  whether  the  relation  of  the 
two  clauses  to  each  other  is  corresponding  or  antithetic — to  be 
expressed  by  “ so  ” or  by  but , on  the  other  hand.  The  last  clause 
has  no  negative  [“?$  not"~\.  Then  we  have  also  the  question 
whether  the  word  for  “glory”  [*1133],  twice  occurring,  is  used  in 

the  good  sense  or  the  bad,  i.  e .,  in  the  sense  of  what  is  truly  hon- 
orable, noble ; or  of  mere  reputation,  vain  glory.  We  have  also  the 
further  question  whether  we  must  fall  back  upon  the  primary 
though  not  most  common  sense  of  the  word,  viz. : things  difficult, 

heavy,  burdensome. In  view  of  these  difficulties,  critics  have 

interpreted  the  passage  variously;  e.  g .,  as  in  our  English 
version  (Ges.);  “The  searching  out  of  deep,  [divine]  things  is 
burdensome”  (Fuerst);  “The  searching  after  one’s  own  glory  is 
wearisome”  (Muenscher);  “ The  investigation  of  things  difficult  to 
be  understood  is  an  honor,  and  never,  like  honey-eating,  excessive” 
(Maurer);  “The  search  of  their  glory  is  glory”  (Wordsworth). 
In  my  view  Solomon’s  usage  of  this  word  “glory”  should  be 


172 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVI. 


essentially  decisive.  We  have  it  fully  brought  out  in  this  Book  of 
Proverbs.  Thus  in  this  chapter  (v.  2)  : “It  is  the  glory  of  God  to 
conceal  a thing;  but  the  glory  (Eng.  “honor”)  of  kings  is  to 
search  out  a matter;”  (this  “search  out”  being  the  same  as  in 
our  passage).  This  glory  is  the  gift  of  Wisdom  (3  : 17).  In  her 
left  hand  riches  and  glory  [Eng.  “honor”].  “The  wise  shall  in- 
herit glory ” (3  : 35).  So  also  8:  18,  “Riches  and  glory  are  with 
me;”  and  11:  16  and  21:  21  and  15:  33  and  18:  12  and  22:  4. 
The  use  of  “glory,”  in  the  good  sense,  is  invariable.  Hence  it 
seems  to  be  imperative  that  we  give  it  the  good  sense  here.  The 
search  after  true  glory  is  glorious — like  the  sentiment  announced 
by  Paul  (Rom.  2 : 7) : “ To  them  who  seek  for  glory,  honor,  and 

immortality,  eternal  life.” The  word  “search”  implies  diligent 

and  earnest,  and  usually,  if  not  always,  noble  pursuit. Of  course 

in  this  construction,  the  last  clause  is  not  corresponding  (as  to  the 
first)  but  antithetic.  You  may  eat  too  much  honey;  but  there  is 
no  danger  of  seeking  too  earnestly  for  real  glory,  for  what  is 
truly  noble. 

28.  He  that  hath  no  rule  over  his  own  spirit  is  like  a city 
that  is  broken  down,  and  without  walls. 

In  Oriental  countries  cities  needed  walls  and  towers;  else  they 
were  exposed  to  pillage  and  even  utter  destruction.  Bo  a man’s 
spirit  with  no  self-control  stands  all  exposed  to  enemies  from 
within  as  well  as  from  without.  Every  passion  runs  riot  and 
makes  a wreck  of  the  poor,  defenseless  soul.  Temptations  from 
without  also  keep  him  in  perpetual  peril.  How  forcibly  is  his 
case  put  here — an  Oriental  city  with  no  walls,  and  every  house  in 
ruins ! 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 

1.  As  snow  in  summer,  and  as  rain  in  harvest,  so  honor 
is  not  seemly  for  a fool. 

The  unseemliness  which  forms  the  point  in  common  to  the 
two  clauses  here  is  not  so  much  that  of  appearance — the  look  of 
the  thing — as  of  inutility,  the  mischief  it  brings.  Honor  is  un- 
becoming to  a fool,  because  it  is  only  a curse  to  him  and  a waste 
of  all  the  blessings  which  honor  ought  normally  to  bear  with  it. 
Even  as  rain  and  snow  are  in  their  time  great  blessings,  but  out 
of  time,  fearful  calamities. 

2.  As  the  bird  by  wandering,  as  the  swallow  by  flying,  so 
the  curse  causeless  shall  not  come. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVI. 


173 


As  the  bird  gives  himself  to  aimless  and  indefinite  flying  which 
harms  no  one  and  hits  no  mark;  so  the  curse  which  you  have 
never  deserved  will  only  fly  in  the  air  and  will  never  fall  upon 
you.  The  causeless  curse  comes  with  no  moral  force  and  need 
never  be  feared. 

3.  A whip  for  the  horse,  a bridle  for  the  ass,  and  a rod 
for  the  fool’s  back. 

Fitness  is  here  the  one  point  in  common.  The  horse  needs  the 
whip,  the  ass  the  bridle,  and  the  fool’s  back,  for  the  same  reason, 
the  rod  of  correction.  It  is  assumed  that  by  reason  of  his  folly 
the  persuasions  of  wisdom  and  the  law  of  kindness  are  unavail- 
ing, so  that  nothing  remains  but  the  rod. 

4.  Answer  not  a fool  according  to  his  folly,  lest  thou  also 
be  like  unto  him. 

5.  Answer  a fool  according  to  his  folly,  lest  he  be  wise  in 
his  own  conceit. 

Obviously  these  two  proverbs  are  placed  together  that  each 
may  throw  light  upon  the  sense  of  the  other.  A slight  enigma, 
a sort  of  paradox,  gives  zest  to  them  both.  The  words  “ according 
to”  admit  two  somewhat  different  shades  of  meaning,  and  this 
difference  is  the  clew  to  the  true  sense  of  this  pair  of  proverbs  ; 
thus : Answer  not  the  fool  foolishly,  according  to  the  spirit  of  his 
folly,  lest  thou  become  like  him.  But  answer  a fool  as  his  folly 
deserves , according  to  the  desert  of  his  folly,  lest  he  be  left  to  sup- 
pose that  he  has  said  a very  smart  thing  and  become  even  more 
wise  in  his  own  conceit  than  ever  before.  Rebuke  him;  expose 
his  folly  to  his  own  eyes : but  beware  of  being  drawn  by  sympathy 
into  the  same  strain  of  foolish  talking. 

6.  He  that  sendeth  a message  by  the  hand  of  a fool  cut- 
teth  off  the  feet,  and  drinketh  damage. 

You  might  as  well  cut  off  the  messenger’s  feet  so  that  he  can 
not  go  at  all  as  send  your  message  by  the  hand  of  a fool.  His 

folly  will  certainly  frustrate  all  your  hope  of  a useful  result. 

“Drinking  damage”  is  taking  it  in  bountifully,  on  a large  scale. 
Solomon  would  not  trust  a fool  with  any  important  message. 

7.  The  legs  of  the  lame  are  not  equal : so  is  a parable  in 
the  mouth  of  fools. 

The  most  approved  construction  of  the  central  word  [Eng.  11  are 
not  equal”]  is  this:  The  legs  of  the  lame  hang  pendulous , drag; 
so  does  a parable  in  the  mouth  of  fools.  They  see  not  the  pith  of 
it  and  lack  the  good  sense  to  apply  it.  It  moves  on  their  lips  with 
a limping,  halting  gait.  None  but  sensible  men  catch  the  true 
meaning  of  the  real  proverb  and  know  how  to  speak  it  impressively, 


174 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVI. 


8.  As  he  that  bindeth  a stone  in  a sling,  so  is  he  that 
giveth  honor  to  a fool. 

Upon  the  precise  sense  of  the  first  clause  critics  have  differed 
somewhat  widely.  Several  (Gesenius,  Bosenmueller,  and  other 
Germans)  give  the  sense  which  appears  in  the  English  margin, 
“As  one  who  puts  a precious  stone  in  a heap  of  [common]  stones,” 
etc.  But  in  this  construction  neither  of  the  three  Hebrew  words 

is  taken  in  its  best  established  and  most  probable  sense. Others 

(Fuerst,  Stuart,  Muenscher)  say — “ As  one  who  binds  a stone  in 
a sling  (i.  e.,  so  that  it  can  not  leave  the  sling  and  fly  to  its  mark), 
so  is  he  that  giveth  honor  to  a fool.”  The  effort  in  both  cases  is 
a failure.  The  stone  can  not  reach  its  mark  because  it  is  tied  in 
the  sling;  honor  can  not  reach  the  fool.  But  this  illustration  is 

by  no  means  either  obvious  or  pertinent. Maurer  gives  the  verb 

translated  “bind”  the  sense,  to  hurl:  as  one  who  hurleth  a stone 
with  a sling,  so,  etc.,  i.  e .,  honor  given  to  a fool  is  honor  thrown 
away — it  flies  like  a stone  from  a sling.  This  would  do  well  if 
the  verb  [nnv]  would  bear  this  construction.  Unfortunately  the 

verb  means  to  bind  and  not  to  hurl. Looking  still  further  there- 

fore for  the  precise  sense  of  this  figure,  I suggest  that  the  capital 
mistake  of  the  critics  has  been  their  assuming  that  the  stone  is 
tied  in  the  sling  effectually , so  as  to  be  fastened  there.  But  sup- 
pose the  fact  to  be  that  such  tying  of  a stone  in  a sling  is  a prac- 
tical impossibility.  Think  of  tying  into  a sling  one  of  David’s 
five  smooth  stones  (1  Sam.  17  : 40)  chosen  out  of  the  brook,  well- 
water-worn.  You  might  about  as  well  tie  a rifle-ball  into  its  place 
upon  the  powder  and  expect  it  to  stay  there,  despite  of  the  explo- 
sive force  of  burnt  powder.  So  a stone  must  tear  itself  away 
from  the  sling  with  prodigious  force  if  it  is  so  hurled  as  to  fly  with 
deadly  effect  to  its  distant  mark.  This  then  is  the  pith  of  the 
proverb.  Honor  will  not  stick  to  a fool.  It  can  no  more  abide 
with  him  than  a smooth  stone  will  abide  in  the  sling  when  the 
hurling  impulse  is  felt  tearing  it  away.  Honor  even  tied  down 
upon  a fool  will  keep  its  place  just  as  a stone  tied  in  a sling  keeps 
its  place — i.  e .,  by  no  possibility,  for  one  moment. 

9.  As  a thorn  goeth  into  the  hand  of  a drunkard,  so  is 
a parable  in  the  mouth  of  fools. 

If  with  our  English  version  we  assume  that  the  thorn  goes  into 
the  hand  of  the  drunkard,  we  must,  if  we  follow  the  Hebrew, 
make  the  parable  pierce  into  the  mouth  of  fools,  i.  e .,  to  harm  them- 
selves rather  than  others.  In  the  Hebrew  the  words  are  the  same ; 
in  the  hand ; in  the  mouth.  The  better  sense  is,  As  a thorn-bush 
borne  aloft  in  [or  with]  the  hand  of  the  drunkard,  to  the  peril  of 
all  bystanders,  so  is  a parable  in  the  mouth  of  fools.  The  para- 
ble with  its  sharp  cutting  points  will  be  hurled  at  random,  right 
and  left,  to  wound  all  sensitive  souls.  Fools  will  surely  brandish 
the  stiletto  or  the  long  sword  with  no  sort  of  care  or  discrimination. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVI. 


175 


10.  The  great  God  that  formed  all  things  both  rewardeth 
the  fool,  and  rewardeth  transgressors. 

An  unusual  degree  of  obscurity  and  uncertainty  attaches  to  this 
proverb,  from  the  fact  that  the  first  two  Heb.  words  maybe  derived 
from  very  different  roots,  and  hence  may  have  quite  diverse  mean- 
ings. I on  the  whole  prefer  this  construction  : “As  the  archer  who 
pierces  all,”  i.  e .,  who  casts  abroad  w^ounds  and  death  indiscrim- 
inately; so  is  one  who  hires  [into  his  service]  the  fool,  or  who 
hires  transgressors.  No  man  can  do  this  without  getting  wounds, 
as  from  the  piercing  arrow,  or  as  we  might  say,  without  getting 
bitten. 

11.  As  a dog  returneth  to  his  vomit,  so  a fool  returneth 
to  his  folly. 

As  the  dog  turns  back  to  eat  again  what  he  has  vomited,  so  a 
fool  repeats  his  folly  of  speech  over  and  over.  It  never  goes 
against  his  stomach ! Thoroughly  caustic ! But  Solomon  prob- 
ably considered  that  nothing  but  a very  sharp-edged  proverb  will 
pierce  into  the  tough  sensibilities  of  the  fool. 

12.  Seest  thou  a man  wise  in  his  own  conceit?  there  is 
more  hope  of  a fool  than  of  him. 

“Wise  in  his  own  eyes”  [Heb.]  means  in  his  own  view  of  him- 
self. There  is  more  hope  of  improvement  in  the  case  of  the  ig- 
norant, untaught,  uncultured  man  than  in  his.  Self-conceit  is  a 
more  fatal  bar  to  knowledge  and  true  wisdom  than  ignorance  or 
even  stupidity.  He  who  thinks  himself  wise  enough  already 
scorns  all  diligent  application  and  real  study.  It  seems  to  him 
a tacit  and  humiliating  admission  that  he  does  not  know  every- 
thing yet. 

13.  The  slothful  man  saith,  There  is  a lion  in  the  way; 
a lion  is  in  the  streets. 

See  22 : 13. 

14.  As  the  door  turneth  upon  his  hinges,  so  doth  the 
slothful  upon  his  bed. 

As  the  door,  with  no  self-moving  power,  turns  not  itself  but  only 
is  turned,  so  the  slothful  may  be  sarcastically  represented  as  too 
lazy  (of  his  own  motion)  even  to  turn  over  in  his  bed.  Or  per- 
haps the  point  of  the  comparison  may  be  that  as  the  door  can 
have  no  other  motion  than  that  of  turning  to  and  fro  upon  its 
hinges,  so  the  sluggard  never  moves  beyond  rolling  from  side  to 

side  upon  his  bed — never  rises  to  any  active,  useful  labor. These 

proverbs  spare  not  the  sluggard ! 

. 15.  The  slothful  hideth  his  hand  in  his  bosom ; it 
grieveth  him  to  bring  it  again  to  his  mouth. 


176 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVI. 


Nearly  the  same  words  appear  in  19:  24.  The  only  difference 
is  that  this  represents  the  sluggard  as  being  grieved , afflicted  (poor 
man!)  with  the  labor  of  carrying  his  hand  from  the  dish  [of  food] 
to  his  mouth ! Not  “ bosom/’  but  dish  is  admitted  to  be  the  sense 
of  the  Hebrew  word. 

16.  The  sluggard  is  wiser  in  his  own  conceit  than  seven 
men  that  can  render  a reason. 

The  point  of  the  sluggard’s  inactivity  is  here  mental . He  thinks 
he  knows  more  than  any  number  of  men  who  can  give  intelligent 
answers.  His  knowledge  comes  by  intuition,  with  no  mental  effort. 
But  he  is  sure  he  has  it  far  above  the  man  of  true  intelligence. 

“ Seven,”  a definite  number  for  an  indefinite,  as  in  v.  25  and 

in  24:  16. 

17.  He  that  passeth  by,  and  meddleth  with  strife  belong- 
ing not  to  him,  is  like  one  that  taketh  a dog  by  the  ears. 

He  who  has  no  other  interest  than  that  of  a passer-by,  but  yet 
involves  himself  in  other  people’s  quarrels,  might  as  well  pinch  the 
ears  of  a ferocious  dog.  Oriental  dogs  were  notoriously  fierce.  A 
man  would  get  himself  into  gratuitous  trouble  by  seizing  their  ears. 
Solomon  would  say,  Keep  aloof  from  other  men’s  quarrels.’ 

18.  As  a mad  man  who  casteth  firebrands,  arrows,  and 
death, 

19.  So  is  the  man  that  deceiveth  his  neighbor,  and  saith, 
Am  not  I in  sport? 

As  the  word  rendered  “mad  man”  occurs  only  here,  its  precise 
meaning  becomes  a matter  of  dispute.  Some  give  it  the  sense  of 
insane,  reckless,  either  through  rage  or  utter  lack  of  self-control; 
while  others  make  it  mean  the  recklessness  of  excessive  fun  which 
risks  even  extreme  and  fatal  mischief  for  the  sake  of  fine  sport. 
The  grounds  for  these  respective  opinions  lie  in  the  analogies  of 
this  Hebrew  word  with  other  kindred  roots  or  with  Arabic  words. 
We  can  afford  to  forego  these  investigations  inasmuch  as  the  sig- 
nificance and  force  of  the  parable  are  but  slightly  affected  by  the 

points  at  issue. The  word  for  “firebrand”  means  fiery  darts 

filled  with  combustibles.  “Death”  in  this  connection  means 
death-bearing  weapons.  With  one  who  recklessly  hurls  abroad 
such  death-weapons,  the  proverb  compares  the  man  who  deceives 
his  neighbor  with  flagrant  misrepresentations  (big  stories,  per- 
haps), and  then  excuses  his  outrages  of  the  truth  by  saying: 

“Am  I not  in  sport?”  Is  it  not  admissible  to  tell  lies  in  fun? 

The  precise  point  of  analogy  in  the  proverb  seems  to  be  that  fun 
is  the  same  sort  of  apology  in  the  latter  case  as  in  the  former.  It 
will  justify  him  who  throws  out  big  lies  equally  with  him  who 
throws  abroad  death-weapons.  Human  flesh  and  blood  are  no 
more  sacred  than  those  interests  of  human  souls  which  truth  pro- 
tects, and  which  falsehood  and  deception  sacrifice. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVI. 


177 


20.  Where  no  wood  is,  there  the  fire  goeth  out : so  where 
there  is  no  talebearer,  the  strife  ceaseth. 

The  remarkable  thing  in  this  proverb  is  that  so  much  should 
be  attributed  to  the  tongue.  The  doctrine  is  that  an  unruly 
tongue,  malicious  talking,  is  to  strife  what  fuel  is  to  fire.  As  fire 
dies  when  the  fuel  fails,  so  strife  ceaseth  when  the  mischief-making 
tongue  is  suppressed.  The  assumption  seems  to  be  that  as  the 
malign  use  of  the  tongue  enkindles  human  passions  and  fires  up 
strife,  so  if  passionate  men  would  keep  still  their  anger  would 
subside  and  their  strife  with  others  would  cease.  Taken  as  a 
universal  statement  it  seems  rather  strong;  for  men  sometimes 
nurse  their  wrath  in  sullen  silence.  But  the  proverb  touches  a 
great  truth  when  it  witnesses  to  the  terrible  power  of  a tattling 
tongue.  Compare  16 : 28. 

21.  As  coals  are  to  burning  coals,  and  wood  to  fire ; so 
is  a contentious  man  to  kindle  strife. 

The  contentious  man  (literally,  “the  man  of  contentions”)  loves 
quarrels;  is  always  in  them;  and  has  the  skill  to  draw  others  in. 
He  kindles  strife  as  coals  kindle  dry  wood.  What  a curse  to  so- 
ciety is  he ! 

22.  The  words  of  a talebearer  are  as  wounds,  and  they 
go  down  into  the  innermost  parts  of  the  belly. 

The  same  words  occur  in  chap.  18 : 8. 

23.  Burning  lips  and  a wicked  heart  are  like  a potsherd 
covered  with  silver  dross. 

Drossy  silver,  shining  and  showy  but  very  impure  and  overlaying 
a potsherd  withal,  represents  a man  with  warm  kisses  on  his  lips 
but  foul  malice  in  his  heart. 

24.  He  that  hateth  dissembleth  with  his  lips,  and  layeth 
up  deceit  within  him : 

25.  When  he  speaketh  fair,  believe  him  not : for  there  are 
seven  abominations  in  his  heart. 

A man  of  malicious  spirit  [“a  hater”]  does  not  suffer  his  lips 
to  divulge  his  malign  feelings,  but  keeps  them  deep  within. 
When  he  speaks  smooth  words  [Heb.  makes  his  voice  soft,  pleas- 
ing] believe  him  not;  for  there  are  seven  [an  uncounted  number 

of]  abominations  in  his  heart. Solomon  does  not  say  how  we 

are  to  know  this  arch  deceiver.  He  forewarns  us  that  there  are 
such  men,  and  probably  assumes  that  we  must  judge  of  them  by 
those  manifestations  of  a malign  spirit  which  even  arch  dissem- 
blers can  not  altogether  conceal. 

. 26.  Whose  hatred  is  covered  by  deceit,  his  wickedness 
shall  be  shewed  before  the  whole  congregation. 


178 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVII. 


This  gives  us  the  comforting  assurance  that  the  arch  dissem- 
bler whose  soul  is  full  of  malice,  but  who  yet  labors  to  cover  it 
up  with  deceit,  shall  be  exposed  before  the  great  congregation. 

27.  Whoso  diggeth  a pit  shall  fall  therein : and  he  that 
rolleth  a stone,  it  will  return  upon  him. 

This  implies  that  he  digs  a pit  for  others  to  fall  into,  and  rolls 
a stone  up  the  hill  to  hurl  it  down  upon  other  mens  heads.  His 
malicious  labor  reacts  with  curses  upon  himself.  Haman  thought 
to  build  a gallows  for  Mordecai;  by  God’s  overruling  hand  it 
came  to  pass  that  he  built  it  for  his  own  neck. 

28.  A lying  tongue  hateth  those  that  are  afflicted  by  it ; 
and  a flattering  mouth  worketh  ruin. 

A man  of  lying  tongue  hates  those  whom  he  slanders  and  tra- 
duces. Those  who  suffer  from  his  lying  tongue  must  also  suffer 
from  his  increased  hatred. To  explain  this,  some  commenta- 

tors say,  The  man  who  has  slandered  you  hates  you  the  more  be- 
cause he  knows  he  has  unjustly  provoked  your  displeasure.  It  is 
much  nearer  the  truth  to  say  that  having  hated  and  slandered  you, 
he  is  perpetually  pressed  in  self-justification  to  make  out  that  you 
have  deserved  it  all  and  more.  He  does  not  love  to  think  that 
this  bad  spirit  of  his  is  pure  wickedness,  that  his  slanderous  words 
have  no  justification.  Therefore  his  strong  desire  to  justify  him- 
self commits  him  to  think  as  ill  of  you  as  he  can  and  hence 
urges  him  on  to  hate  you  the  more.  The  homage  which  even  the 
vilest  of  men  are  compelled  to  pay  to  abstract  virtue  does  not 
make  them  candid  enough  to  see  the  virtues  of  those  they  have 
maligned.  It  works  rather  to  stimulate  their  malice  and  make 
them  ignore  every  good  quality  or  deed  of  those  whom  they  have 
wronged. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

1.  Boast  not  thyself  of  to-morrow;  for  thou  knowest  not 
what  a day  may  bring  forth. 

In  this  proverb,  11  boast ” is  the  expressive  word.  Do  not  vainly 
and  proudly  assume  that  to-morrow  is  your  own,  so  that  you  may 
claim  and  use  it  as  you  will  with  no  recognition  of  God  as  the 
great  Owner  and  really  the  Giver  to  mortals  of  all  their  earthly 
days.  If  even  to-morrow — only  one  day  onward — is  not  our  own, 

how  much  less  the  days  that  lie  still  more  remote  in  the  future. 

The  apostle  James  (4:  13-16)  seems  to  have  had  this  proverb  in 
mind;  “Go  to  now,  ye  that  say,  To-day  or  to-morrow  we  will  go 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVII. 


179 


into  such  a city,”  etc.  “ But  now  ye  rejoice  in  your  boastings , etc., 
these  boastings  being  manifested  in  their  plans  for  the  future, 
which  left  out  all  thought  of  God  and  assumed  to  have  an  absolute 
control  of  future  days  and  circumstances  as  their  own. 

2.  Let  another  man  praise  thee,  and  not  thine  own  mouth  ; 
a stranger,  and  not  thine  own  lips. 

Self-praise  is  specially  liable  to  fail  of  its  object.  As  a general 
rule  it  is  better  for  one’s  reputation  to  forego  praise  altogether  than 
to  attempt  to  furnish  it  for  one’s  self — the  reason  of  which  is  not 
far  to  seek. 

3.  A stone  is  heavy,  and  the  sand  weighty ; but  a fool’s 
wrath  is  heavier  than  them  both. 

By  “the  fool’s  wrath”  I understand  the  vexation  and  trial  which 
his  presence  occasions  you.  You  can  better  afford  to  carry  a load 
of  sand  or  a weight  of  stones  than  such  a burden. Some  com- 

mentators assume  that  the  fool’s  ill  temper  and  bad  habits  are  a 
burden  to  himself,  comparable  to  a load  of  sand.  This  may  be 
true ; but  I doubt  if  it  be  precisely  the  truth  which  is  put  before 
us  in  this  parable. 

4.  Wrath  is  cruel,  and  anger  is  outrageous,  but  who  is 
able  to  stand  before  envy  ? 

I take  the  word  rendered  “ envy  ” to  mean  jealousy , in  the  specific 
form  which  this  author  portrays  so  vividly,  chap.  6 : 34,  35.  When 
either  party  to  the  marriage  bond  becomes  jealous  of  the  other  and 
the  warmest  and  most  sacred  sensibilities  known  to  the  human 
heart  are  outraged,  who  can  stand  before  their  fury  ? 

5.  Open  rebuke  is  better  than  secret  love. 

Both  open  rebuke  and  secret  love  are  thought  of  here  as  per- 
taining to  our  professed  friends  in  their  bearing  toward  ourselves. 
It  is  better  that  they  should  rebuke  us  frankly  than  hide  their 
love  by  silence  when  the  case  calls  for  reproof.  Real  love  should 
by  no  means  be  silent  [“secret”  1 when  the  best  good  of  a friend 
demands  a faithful  word  of  admonition.  This  sentiment  is  devel- 
oped yet  more  fully  in  the  next  proverb. 

6.  Faithful  are  the  wounds  of  a friend ; but  the  kisses  of 
an  enemy  are  deceitful. 

The  rebukes  of  true  friendship  may  seem  to  wound,  but  let 
them  be  accepted  gratefully  and  borne  calmly.  You  can  well  af- 
ford this  if  they  are  faithful — the  fruit  of  true  fidelity  and  love. 

Over  against  this,  the  kisses  of  an  enemy  are  abundant  [the 

sense  of  the  Heb.] — the  idea  of  deceit  being  not  expressed  but 
implied.  Coming  from  an  enemy,  the  more  numerous  they  are 
the  more  certainly  are  they  deceitful. 


180 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVII. 


7.  The  full  soul  loatheth  an  honey-comb ; but  to  the  hun- 
gry soul  every  bitter  thing  is  sweet 

The  English  margin  gives  the  precise  sense  of  the  Hebrew 
word  for  “loatheth,”  viz.,  tramples  under  foot.  The  appetite  fully 
satiated  can  not  bear  even  honey. 

8.  As  a bird  that  wandereth  from  her  nest,  so  is  a man 
that  wandereth  from  his  place. 

This  proverb  may  be  applied  to  a man’s  place  in  the  sense  of 
his  house,  his  home,  his  family;  or  in  the  larger  sense  of  his 
country.  The  verb  “wander”  favors  the  latter,  and  so  also  does 
the  genius  of  the  Hebrew  system,  civil  and  religious,  which  looked 
with  disfavor  upon  emigration  to  foreign  lands. 

9.  Ointment  and  perfume  rejoice  the  heart : so  doth  the 
sweetness  of  a man’s  friend  by  hearty  counsel. 

As  oil,  pleasantly  scented,  and  perfume,  are  grateful  to  the  sense 
of  smell,  so  is  the  sweetness  of  friendship,  manifested  by  affec- 
tionate hearty  counsels.  Good  advice,  such  as  manifestly  comes 
up  from  the  depths  of  a loving  heart,  is  the  sweetness  of  friend- 
ship, corresponding  to  the  fragrance  of  sweet  odors. 

10.  Thine  own  friend,  and  thy  father’s  friend,  forsake 
not ; neither  go  into  thy  brother’s  house  in  the  day  of  thy 
calamity : for  better  is  a neighbor  that  is  near,  than  a brother 
far  off. 

Heart  friendship  is  more  and  better  than  consanguinity.  There- 
fore cultivate  true  friendship;  forsake  neither  your  own  friend 
nor  your  father’s;  prove  yourself  true  to  them  that  they  may  be 
true  to  you,  for  you  can  rely  upon  a long-tried  friend  more  than 
on  one  who  is  merely  a brother.  Some  have  gone  to  a brother 
in  their  day  of  calamity  to  their  bitter  disappointment.  A neigh- 
bor near  in  sympathy  and  love  is  better  than  a brother  who  in 

these  respects  is  far  away. A similar  sentiment  appears  in  the 

last  clause  of  18 : 24.  Perhaps  Solomon  remembered  that  Amnon 
and  Absalom  were  brothers;  also  Adonijah  and  himself;  and  on 
the  other  hand  that  his  venerable  father  cherished  the  memory 
of  Jonathan,  and  sought  to  bless  his  children  for  his  sake. 

11.  My  son,  be  wise,  and  make  my  heart  glad,  that  I 
may  answer  him  that  reproacheth  me. 

The  key  to  the  last  clause  lies  in  the  fact  that  society  holds  the 
father  in  a great  measure  responsible  for  the  morals  of  his  son, 
and  therefore  if  he  has  not  done  his  parental  duty  will  reproach 
him  for  his  neglect  and  failure.  Hence  Solomon  says,  Remember, 
my  son,  that  my  good  name  as  well  as  yours  is  at  stake,  pending 
upon  the  life  you  live;  therefore  be  wise;  so  shall  my  heart  be 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVII. 


181 


glad,  and  I can  proudly  point  to  your  wisdom  as  my  defense  against 
those  who  would  reproach  me.  (Compare  23  : 15,  24.) 

12.  A prudent  man  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth  him- 
self ; but  the  simple  pass  on,  and  are  punished. 

Essentially  the  same  appears  in  22 : 3. 

13.  Take  his  garment  that  is  surety  for  a stranger,  and 
take  a pledge  of  him  for  a strange  woman. 

See  the  same,  in  20 : 16. 

14.  He  that  blesseth  his  friend  with  a loud  voice,  rising 
early  in  the  morning,  it  shall  be  counted  a curse  to  him. 

The  writer  thinks  of  these  manifestations  as  excessive  and  there- 
fore suspicious;  unnatural,  and  therefore  the  fruit,  not  of  true 
friendship,  but  of  some  sinister  purpose. 

15.  A continual  dropping  in  a very  rainy  day  and  a con- 
tentious woman  are  alike. 

16.  Whosoever  hideth  her  hideth  the  wind,  and  the 
ointment  of  his  right  hand,  which  bewrayeth  itself. 

Flat  roofs,  mud-covered,  thoroughly  saturated  in  a day  of  great 
rain,  leaking  like  a sieve,  with  not  the  cleanest  of  water,  are  the 
nearest  like  things  to  a quarrelsome  woman  — an  irrepressible 
scold.  Whoever  for  the  honor  of  the  house  would  hide  her  wrath, 
might  as  well  hide  the  wind  or  the  odors  of  perfumed  oil  which 
no  skill  can  bind  but  which  will  proclaim  itself.  Or  since  the 
word  for  “hide”  admits  the  sense  of  restrain , the  meaning  may  be; 
Whoever  would  restrain  her  might  as  well  bind  the  hurricane,  or 

the  strong  odors  of  scented  oil. But  the  last  clause  of  v.  16 

has  been  construed  variously.  It  is  not  easy  to  decide  between 
these  conflicting  constructions.  Stuart  gives  it ; “ His  right  hand 
comes  upon  oil  ” — a thing  so  slippery  that  he  can  not  grasp  it  to 
any  purpose.  Maurer;  “His  right  hand  calleth  for  oil” — i.  e ., 
to  bind  up  the  wounds  he  gets  from  an  infuriate  woman.  This 
has  at  least  the  merit  of  making  out  a strong  case.  Is  it  not  a 
little  far-fetched?  If  the  sense  of  repressing,  restraining,  is  car- 
ried forward  from  the  first  clause  (which  seems  natural)  then  the 
received  English  version  gives  the  most  probable  meaning. 

17.  Iron  sharpeneth  iron ; so  a man  sharpeneth  the  coun- 
tenance of  his  friend. 

The  law  of  sympathy  acts  on  the  human  face  as  friction  does 
on  iron.  Solomon  plays  upon  the  slightly  differing  senses  of  two 
Hebrew  verbs  which  have  nearly  the  same  radical  letters;  the 
first  of  which*  means  to  sharpen  as  in  the  case  of  iron  edge  tools  • 

* Yin 


182 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVII. 


the  second  ,*  to  brighten , as  the  human  countenance  is  lighted  up 
with  smiles  by  the  law  of  human  sympathy. 

18.  Whoso  keepeth  the  fig-tree  shall  eat  the  fruit  there- 
of : so  he  that  waiteth  on  his  master  shall  be  honored. 

“ Keeping  the  fig-tree  ” is  not  merely  to  own  and  possess,  but  to 
cultivate  diligently;  to  take  due  care  of.  Correspondingly,  the 
servant  who  devotes  himself  to  his  duty  to  his  master  will  be  held 
in  honor  and  rewarded. 

19.  As  in  water  face  answereth  to  face,  so  the  heart  of 
man  to  man. 

In  the  East,  the  cheap  and  simple  mirror  used  by  the  poor  is  the 
surface  of  water  in  a vessel.  As  the  image  reflected  from  such  a 
surface  represents  the  object,  e.  g.,  your  own  face,  so  does  your 
own  heart  represent  the  universal  heart  of  man,  and  you  may  look 

into  it  to  study  and  learn  all  human  nature. Some  interpreters 

give  the  proverb  a slightly  different  shade  of  meaning,  thus : 
Every  man  is  as  his  own  heart.  The  heart  is  the  index  of  the 

man.  Look  into  your  own  heart  and  you  see  your  real  self. 

But  the  former  construction  comprehends  this.  If  the  heart  as 
you  see  it  in  yourself  reveals  all  human  hearts,  it  of  course  reveals 
all  human  character  and  your  own  is  included.  Therefore  your 
own  heart  reflects  the  heart  of  universal  man  as  the  surface  of 
water  reflects  your  own  face;  the  face  you  wear  answers  to  the 
face  you  see  in  the  water  as  your  inner  heart  answers  to  the  heart 
of  man  as  a race. 

20.  Hell  and  destruction  are  never  full;  so  the  eyes  of 
man  are  never  satisfied. 

“Hell”  [Sheol]  and  Destruction  [Death]  stand  here  for  the 
grave  personified  to  represent  the  great  law  of  human  mortality 
from  which  none  are  exempted.  The  grave  is  never  sated — is 
never  so  full  as  to  be  satisfied  without  more  victims.  So  the  eyes 
of  men  never  see  so  much  that  they  care  to  see  no  more. 

21.  As  the  fining  pot  for  silver,  and  the  furnace  foi 
gold;  so  is  a man  to  his  praise. 

As  the  fire  of  a crucible  proves  silver  and  gold,  so  a man  should 
prove  the  praises  he  gets,  sifting,  scanning  them  with  humble 
views  of  himself,  and  accepting  them  as  true  only  when  in  sober 
reflection  he  finds  them  to  be  so.  Or  as  the  sense  may  be,  So  will 
the  praise  a man  gets  prove  him.  revealing  his  true  character. 
The  vain,  weak  man  will  be  elated  and  made  giddy ; the  man  of 
solid  worth  will  show  it  by  his  bearing  under  the  influence  of  praise. 
The  choice  therefore  lies  between  these  two  constructions : As  the 
crucible  tries  silver,  so  (a)  a man  should  try  the  praises  he  gets; 

* mn 

T 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XXVII. 


183 


or  (b)  the  praise  he  gets  will  try  him.  The  man  in  either  case 
corresponds  to  the  crucible;  but  whether  considered  in  relation 
to  praise  as  acting  or  as  acted  upon  is  the  question.  As  to  the  facts 
of  human  nature,  the  former  is  what  ought  to  be — the  latter,  what 
is.  Neither  sense  is  bad. 

22.  Though  thou  shouldest  bray  a fool  in  a mortar  among 
wheat  with  a pestle,  yet  will  not  his  foolishness  depart 
from  him. 

The  almost  obsolete  word  “bray”  means  to  bruise,  to  beat,  to 
maul.  The  proverb  sets  forth  that  a fool  sticks  to  his  folly  and 
his  folly  to  him,  as  if  they  were  mutually  parts  of  each  other 
united  by  a common  affinity.  The  fool  is  precisely  the  man  who 
spurns  and  withstands  all  effort  to  make  him  wise,  i.  e.,  to  get  his 
folly  out  of  him. 

23.  Be  thou  diligent  to  know  the  state  of  thy  flocks,  and 
look  well  to  thy  herds : 

24.  For  riches  are  not  for  ever:  and  doth  the  crown 
endure  to  every  generation? 

25.  The  hay  appeareth,  and  the  tender  grass  showeth 
itself,  and  herbs  of  the  mountains  are  gathered. 

26.  The  lambs  are  for  thy  clothing,  and  the  goats  are 
the  price  of  the  field. 

27.  And  thou  shalt  have  goats’  milk  enough  for  thy  food, 
for  the  food  of  thy  household,  and  for  the  maintenance  for 
thy  maidens. 

A beautiful  commendation  of  husbandry.  Give  very  careful  at- 
tention to  your  flocks  and  herds,  for  wealth  sought  by  other  means 
is  treacherous ; often  transient ; even  crowns  are  not  wont  to  pass 

down  in  long  unbroken  line  from  generation  to  generation. 

Here  is  also  rich  beauty  as  well  as  utility.  The  hay  is  taken  off; 
then  springs  up  the  after-math,  young,  tender,  and  green;  the 
vegetable  growths  of  the  hills  are  gathered  in  for  the  winter.  The 
lambs  furnish  wool  and  skins  for  your  clothing;  goats  are  so  prof- 
itable that  you  may  rely  on  their  price  for  the  purchase  of  fields; 
so  shall  your  supplies  of  food  be  ample  for  all  your  household. 
An  employment  which  combines  such  varied  pleasure  and  beauty 
with  so  much  security  against  failure,  and  such  supply  for  mans 
chief  wants  of  food  and  clothing,  may  be  commended  wisely. 
The  glory  of  Solomon’s  kingdom  was  its  agricultural  wealth. 


184 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVIII. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

1.  The  wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursueth:  but  the 
righteous  are  bold  as  a lion. 

Conscious  guilt  makes  men  fearful.  When  a man  knows  he 
ought  to  suffer,  every  rustling  leaf  is  to  him  the  stealthy  tread  of 

some  mortal  foe ; every  specter  is  a fiend  to  curse  him. But  the 

righteous  are  fearless.  An  approving  conscience  and  a cheerful 
trust  in  God’s  universal  providence  conspire  to  quell  all  sense  of 
fear.  The  primary  and  proper  sense  of  the  Hebrew  verb  rendered 

“are  bold,”  is  to  trust. Remarkably,  the  same  language  used 

here  respecting  the  fear  and  the  feeling  of  the  wicked,  appears  in 
the  threaten ings  of  the  Mosaic  law  against  the  people  whenever 
they  should  apostatize  from  their  God.  (See  Lev.  26:  17,  36). 

2.  For  the  transgression  of  a land  many  are  the  princes 
thereof : but  by  a man  of  understanding  and  knowledge  the 
state  thereof  shall  be  prolonged. 

While  the  general  sense  of  this  proverb  is  given  in  the  received 
version,  the  more  precise  thought  of  the  original  wTords  might  be 
better  put  thus : “ For  the  rebellion  of  a land,  its  princes  are  many; 
but  for  [because  of  ] wise  and  knowing  men,  so  shall  he  [the  prince] 
live  long.1’  If  the  people  go  into  rebellion,  they  will  be  cursed  with 
a frequent  change  of  rulers.  If  they  act  wisely,  their  own  prince 
will  have  a long  and  prosperous  reign.  Did  Solomon  foresee  the 
future  destinies  of  his  own  people  of  Israel?  His  words  found 
abundant  illustration  in  the  frequent  revolutions  of  the  northern 
kingdom  on  the  one  hand,  and  in  the  long  and  wholesome  reigns 
of  various  good  kings  of  the  southern  on  the  other. 

3.  A poor  man  that  oppresseth  the  poor  is  like  a sweep- 
ing rain  which  leaveth  no  food. 

A penniless  man  raised  to  power  (a  case  not  infrequent  in  orien- 
tal countries),  and  then  oppressing  the  defenseless  to  enrich  him- 
self by  merciless  exactions,  is  [in  Hebrew]  “a  sweeping  rain  and 
no  bread ;”  i.  e .,  a flood  which  destroys  all  the  harvests  and  begets 

a famine. In  the  first  clause  the  Heb.  has  two  quite  unlike 

words  where  the  English  has  but  one — “ poor.”  The  'penniless  man 
that  oppresseth  the  powerless etc. 

4.  They  that  forsake  the  law  praise  the  wicked : but  such 
as  keep  the  law  contend  with  them. 

Through  a common  sympathy,  the  lawless  praise  the  wicked; 
but  the  law-abiding  stir  up  themselves  to  withstand  them.  Since 
bad  men  will  sustain  each  other  against  law  and  order,  it  behooves 
the  good  to  combine  their  efforts  on  the  other  side. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVIII. 


185 


5.  Evil  men  understand  not  judgment : but  they  that  seek' 
the  Lord  understand  all  things . 

Wickedness  of  heart  blinds  the  eye  of  the  mind  so  that  bad  men 
will  not  comprehend  justice  and  right.  Over  against  them  are 
those  who  seek  the  Lord,  and  who  therefore  get  all  needful  wisdom. 
The  proverb  implies  that  the  latter  only  can  be  trusted  to  rule 
well. 

6.  Better  is  the  poor  that  walketh  in  his  uprightness, 
than  he  that  is  perverse  in  his  ways,  though  he  be  rich. 

Better  for  any  purpose,  and  especially  better  for  a ruler,  is  the 
poor  but  upright  man  than  the  rich  but  perverse.  Tried,  reliable 
integrity  is  far  above  riches  as  a qualification  for  either  a citizen  or 
a ruler — a sentiment  not  inappropriate  to  our  own  country  and  times. 
Solomon  says  expressively — u than  he  who  perverts  his  double 
ways,”  using  the  dual  number  to  show  that  his  moral  ways  are 
changeful,  now  this,  now  that — guided  by  no  moral  principle. 

7.  Whoso  keepeth  the  law  is  a wise  son  : but  he  that  is  a 
companion  of  riotous  men  shameth  his  father. 

These  “riotous  men,”  in  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew,  are  not  men 
given  to  mob  violence,  but  rather,  to  revelry  and  gluttony.  The 
same  word  occurs  above,  23 : 21,  and  in  Deut.  21 : 20.  The  young 
man  who  associates  intimately  with  such  prodigals  will  surely 
bring  his  father  to  shame.  It  will  be  a disgrace  to  any  father  to 
have  such  a son. 

8.  He  that  by  usury  and  unjust  gain  increaseth  his  sub- 
stance, he  shall  gather  it  for  him  that  will  pity  the  poor. 

See  13:  22.  The  retributions  of  God’s  providence  will  appear  in 
the  history  of  great  estates.  God’s  infinite  justice  and  his  wise 
regard  to  human  welfare  forbid  his  awarding  unmingled  and  abid- 
ing prosperity  to  men  notorious  for  fraud  and  oppression.  Hence 
wealth,  amassed  by  usury  and  unrighteousness,  goes  into  the  hands 
of  one  who  will  use  it  as  God  designed  wealth  should  be  used — to 
bless  the  needy.  Let  his  name  be  praised  for  this  ! 

9.  He  that  turneth  away  his  ear  from  hearing  the  law, 
even  his  prayer  shall  be  abomination. 

If  men  will  not  hear  God’s  law,  he  will  not  hear  their  prayer* 
Refusing  to  hear  his  law,  they  are  in  actual  rebellion  against  him. 
Consequently  their  prayer  to  him  is  only  an  insult,  because  it  is 
simply  asking  him  not  to  hurt,  but  to  bless  men  who  are  actual 
persistent  rebels  against  his  throne.  Their  praj^er  virtually  begs 
permission  to  go  on  to  sin  all  they  will,  and  to  be  exempted  from 
punishment  therefor.  And  God  might  as  well  vacate  his  throne  as 
to  hear  such  prayer  propitiously! 


186 


PRO V ERBS — CHAP.  XXVIII. 


10.  Whoso  causeth  the  righteous  to  go  astray  in  an  evil 
way  he  shall  fall  himself  into  his  own  pit : but  the  upright 
shall  have  good  things  in  possession. 

“His  own  pit  1 is  that  which  he  dug  for  the  righteous  man,  and 
would  fain  have  enticed  him  from  the  paths  of  virtue  into  it.  (Com- 
pare 26 : 27.)  The  upright  shall  inherit  blessings  by  permanent 
possession,  never  subject  to  such  reverses  as  justly  befall  the 
wicked. 

11.  The  rich  man  is  wise  in  his  own  conceit ; but  the  poor 
that  hath  understanding  searcheth  him  out. 

The  noticeable  thing  in  this  proverb  is  its  assumption  that  rich 
men  are  self-conceited.  No  doubt  this  is  sometimes,  perhaps  often, 
true.  They  are  prone  to  ascribe  their  success  in  accumulating 
wealth  to  their  superior  sagacity  and  wisdom.  But  it  will  some- 
times happen  that  a poor  man  of  real  thought  and  deep  penetra- 
tion will  search  them  out  in  the  sense  of  probing  and  fathoming 
the  shallowness  of  their  assumed  wisdom.  Solomon  means  to  say 
that  riches  and  wisdom  are  quite  unlike;  that  riches  does  not 
necessarily  presuppose  wisdom;  that  some  rich  men  may  be  sadly 
deficient,  not  only  in  profound  knowledge,  but  in  that  fear  of  the 
Lord,  which  is  the  beginning  of  true  wisdom ; while  some  poor  men 
may  be  truly  rich  in  these  treasures  of  the  mind  and  of  the  heart. 
Such  views  are  always  wholesome,  especially  in  their  bearing 
upon  the  aspirations  of  the  young. 

12.  When  righteous  men  do  rejoice,  there  is  great  glory  : 
but  when  the  wicked  rise,  a man  is  hidden. 

It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  the  sentiment  here  is  substan- 
tially the  same  as  in  11  : 10  and  29 : 2,  and  also  in  v.  28,  below,  i.  e ., 
it  refers  to  the  relative  influence  of  righteous  rulers  and  of  wicked. 
There  is  great  joy  in  the  former  case : in  the  latter,  men  are  fain  to 
hide  themselves  away  from  the  common  danger.  So  far  from 
walking  abroad  in  exuberant  joy,  they  are  thankful  if  they  may 
escape  with  only  “ dear  life.” 

13.  He  that  covereth  his  sins  shall  not  prosper:  but 
whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh  them  shall  have  mercy. 

If  men  could  only  cover  their  sins  from  the  Omniscient  One — but 
they  can  not ! And  he  will'  not  let  their  covering  of  sin  avail  to 
their  prosperity,  even  among  their  fellow-beings,  who  are  not 
omniscient.  But  the  leading  thought  is  that  they  shalt  not  prosper 
as  toward  God % They  shall  find  no  mercy  from  him  so  long  as 
they  cover  their  sin.  It  is  only  by  confessing  and  forsaking  that 
they  can  find  mercy.  So  it  always  is  : so  for  the  interests  of  every 
sinner  and  of  the  whole  moral  universe  it  ought  to  be  1 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXVIII. 


187 


14.  Happy  is  the  man  that  feareth  always  : but  he  that 
nardeneth  his  heart  shall  fall  into  mischief. 

See  14:  16.  This  fear  is  not  the  superstitious  dread  of  imagin- 
ary evil  but  the  wholesome  fear  of  offending  God  by  sin.  O how 
blessed  is  he  who  never  loses  this  solemn  fear  of  displeasing  the 

great  and  holy  God  ! On  the  contrary,  he  who  hardens  his 

heart  against  such  fear  and  becomes  reckless  as  to  sin  and  its  con- 
sequences shall  surely  fall  into  ruin — the  word  “mischief”  repre- 
senting here,  not  some  of  the  lesser  evils,  but  nothing  less  than 
destruction. 

15.  As  a roaring  lion,  and  a ranging  bear;  so  is  a wicked 
ruler  over  the  poor  people. 

A “ranging  bear” — one  at  large,  unrestrained  and  furious. 
Such  is  a wicked  ruler  over  a defenseless  people. 

16.  The  prince  that  wanteth  understanding  is  also  a great 
oppressor:  but  he  that  hateth  covetousness  shall  prolong 
his  days. 

The  difficult  point  in  the  original  is  that  the  two  things  said  in 
the  first  clause,  of  the  prince,  viz.,  (a)  that  he  lacketh  understand- 
ing ; (b)  that  he  is  great  in  oppression ; are  united  not  by  the  verb 
“ is,”  but  by  the  Heb.  word  which  usually  means  and.  Hence 
Stuart  translates  : “As  to  a prince  who  lacketh  understanding  and 
multiplieth  oppression — he  who  hateth  covetousness  shall  prolong 
his  days.”  He  then  paraphrases  it — “As  to  the  foolish  and  greedy 
oppressor,  I have  only  to  say  that  the  man  of  an  opposite  charac- 
ter shall  obtain  the  blessing  of  long  life.”  Of  course  the  oppressor 

can  not  obtain  it. Ewald  makes  the  clause  an  exclamation ; 

which  would  be  all  right  if  the  author  had  prefixed  a woe,  saying 
“ Woe  to  him  who  is  weak  in  understanding,  but  mighty  in  oppres- 
sion!”  Most  of  the  commentators  translate  with  our  received 

version.  I think  the  construction  proposed  by  Prof.  Stuart,  while 
doing  no  violence  to  the  Hebrew  words,  has  great  force  by  means 
of  tacitly  assuming  that  the  reader  must  know  that  such  a course 
cuts  short  one’s  days. 

17.  A man  that  doeth  violence  to  the  blood  of  any  person 
shall  flee  to  the  pit ; -let  no  man  stay  him. 

Laterally  this  would  read — “A  man  oppressed  with  life-blood 
will  flee  to  the  pit ; let  them  not  lay  hold  of  him.”  It  is  plainly 
the  case  of  the  murderer  whose  conscience  is  agonized  with  the 
sense  of  his  guilt,  and  who  instinctively  flies  to  the  grave  for  relief 
from  tortures  more  terrible  to  him  than  death,  seeming  to  say  as 
he  rushes  on — Let  not  the  avenging  furies  seize  this  murderer ! 

18.  Whoso  walketh  uprightly  shall  be  saved : but  he  that 
is  perverse  in  his  ways  shall  fall  at  once. 


188 


PRO\  ERBS — CHAP.  XXVIII. 


The  last  clause  better  thus:  “He  who  walketh  tortuously  In 
double  ways  shall  fall  in  one  ” [of  them].  No  matter  which  he 
takes,  for  both  are  wrong  and  he  must  meet  his  death  in  either. 
The  noun  for  “ ways  ” is  in  the  dual  number — in  the  sense  of 

double . 

19.  He  that  tilleth  his  land  shall  have  plenty  of  bread  : 
but  he  that  followeth  after  vain  persons  shall  have  poverty 
enough. 

“Followeth  after”  is  more  strictly  chaseth  after , runs  eagerly 
with  them.  The  antithesis  is  better  preserved  by  following  the 
original:  The  one  shall  Have  bread  enough;  the  other  poverty 
enough:  the  one,  bread  to  satiety;  the  other  poverty,  also,  to  his 
heart’s  content.  The  Heb.  repeats  the  same  verb. 

20.  A faithful  man  shall  abound  with  blessings : but  he 
that  maketh  haste  to  be  rich  shall  not  be  innocent. 

According  to  the  original,  the  “faithful  man”  is  the  man  of 
integrity — truthful,  sure.  He  will  be  great  and  rich  in  blessings. 
But  he  who  makes  haste  to  be  rich  is  supposed  to  lose  this  integrity. 
Solomon  does  not  say  that  he  will  miss  the  great  blessings  spoken 
of  in  the  first  clause,  but  he  does  more  than  to  say  it : he  assumes 
that  it  can  not  possibly  be  otherwise,  and  that  every  reader  must 
see  this.  He  will  not  be  guiltless,  and  therefore  being  guilty,  he 
will  not  be  blessed. 

21.  To  have  respect  of  persons  is  not  good  : for,  for  a 
piece  of  bread  that  man  will  transgress. 

Compare  24:  23  and  18 : 5.  It  is  worse  than  merely  “ not  good ;” 
it  is  outrageously  bad  to  have  respect  of  persons — to  be  influenced 
by  favoritism  to  deny  justice  to  the  innocent  and  to  acquit  the 
guilty.  The  proverb  assumes  that  this  evinces  an  utter  want  of 
principle.  Such  a man  would  sin  for  a morsel  of  bread — so  cheap 
and  facile  a thing  with  him  is  his  virtue.  He  would  sell  for  less 
than  a dish  of  pottage. 

22.  He  that  hasteth  to  be  rich  hath  an  evil  eye,  and  con- 
sidered not  that  poverty  shall  come  upon  him. 

The  English  margin  gives  the  sense  of  the  original:  “The  man 
of  evil  eye  hasteth  to  be  rich,”  his  evil  eye  implying  a distorted 
view  of  the  value  of  riches  and  a heart  reckless  as  to  the  means 
of  getting  them.  “ Hasteth,”  in  eager  anxiety.  It  does  not  occur 
to  him  that  poverty  is  his  doom ; that  wealth  so  gotten  will  “ fly 
away.” The  “man  of  evil  eye  ” appears  also  in  23:  6. 

23.  He  that  rebuketh  a man,  afterward  shall  find  more 
favor  than  he  that  flattereth  with  the  tongue. 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XXVIII. 


189 


When  wise  reproof  shall  have  really  saved  you  from  ruin,  and 
you  come  to  see  it,  you  will  surely  thank  your  reprover.  But  you 
can  not  wisely  thank  the  deceitful  flatterer  who  not  merely  passes 
your  faults  unnoticed,  but  blinds  your  eyes  to  their  existence. 

24.  Whoso  robbeth  his  father  or  his  mother,  and  saith, 
It  is  no  transgression ; the  same  is  the  companion  of  a de- 
stroyer. 

Probably  the  assumed  apology  for  robbing  father  and  mother  is 
that,  being  a son,  the  estate  is  prospectively  his,  and  he  only  antici- 
pates the  use  of  what  is  his  own.  The  proverb  declares  that  such 
a son  is  an  associate  in  sympathy  and  character  with  a destroyer; 
ready  for  robbery  or  any  other  foul  crime. 

25.  He  that  is  of  a proud  heart  stirreth  up  strife : but 
he  that  putteth  his  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  made  fat. 

A very  perceptible  antithesis  between  the  two  clauses  of  this 
proverb  will  appear  if  we  give  them  this  shade  of  meaning : The 
proud  heart  naturally  begets  strife  and  therefore  forbids  quietness 
and  pure  enjoyment ; but  he  who  humbly  trusts  in  the  Lord  will 
be  enriched  with  most  abundant  blessings.  The  proud  man  can 
brook  no  supposed  insult,  and  therefore  will  have  his  hands  full 
of  quarrels  and  of  revenge;  but  he  who  commits  his  cause  to  God 

as  his  great  Avenger  may  repose  in  perpetual  peace. Stirring 

up  strife  appears  in  15:  18;  being  “made  fat”  in  11:  25  and  in 
13:  4;  the  general  sentiment  in  13 : 10. 

26.  He  that  trusteth  in  his  own  heart  is  a fool : but  whoso 
walketh  wisely,  he  shall  be  delivered. 

u Trusting  to  one’s  own  heart  ” is  following  its  impulses,  the 
lead  of  its  passions,  as  opposed  to  following  the  wisdom  of  God. 
The  first  clause  which,  in  form,  only  affirms  such  an  one  to  be  a 
fool,  in  fact  assumes  that  this  folly  will  ruin  him ; while  walking 
in  wisdom  would  insure  his  deliverance  from  such  ruin. 

27.  He  that  giveth  unto  the  poor  shall  not  lack : but  he 
that  hideth  his  eyes  shall  have  many  a curse. 

“ Hiding  the  eyes  ” here  is  closing  one’s  own  eyes  so  as  not  to 
see  a suffering  brother’s  want  and  shutting  the  sympathies  of  the 
heart  against  such  appeals.  This  man  shall  have  many  a curse. 
(See  Deut.  15:  7,  8.)  The  Great  Father  commits  himself  to  bless 
those  who  are  with  him  in  loving  care  for  the  poor.  (See  19:  17 
and  29:  7.) 

28.  When  the  wicked  rise^  men  hide  themselves  : but 
when  they  perish,  the  righteous  increase. 

Y.  12  has  the  same  general  idea.  (See  also  29 : 2 and  11 : 10.) 


190 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  XXIX. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

1.  He,  that  being  often  reproved  liardeneth  his  neck, 
shall  suddenly  be  destroyed,  and  that  without  remedy. 

“The  man  of  reproofs”  (the  form  of  the  Hebrew)  is  he  who  has 
been  reproved  much , and  upon  whom  the  power  of  reproof  has 

been  exhausted  in  vain. “Hardening  the  neck”  takes  its  figure 

from  the  bullock  who  resists  the  yoke  and  rebels  against  re- 
straint— a very  common  figure  with  the  Hebrews.  (See  Jer.  19 : 15 
and  7 : 26  and  17:  23  and  Neh.  9 : 29  and  Acts  7 : 51.) “De- 

stroyed” is  expressed  in  Hebrew  by  a very  strong  verb  and  in  its 
most  intensive  form:  “ shall  be  utterly  broken  to  pieces — and  no 
healing  l"  When  all  hope  of  amendment  is  gone,  judgment  with- 
out mercy  must  ensue,  for  the  honor  and  safety  of  God’s  moral 
universe  demand  it. 

2.  When  the  righteous  are  in  authority,  the  people  re- 
joice : but  when  the  wicked  beareth  rule,  the  people  mourn. 

The  parallel  passages  are  28:  12,  28.  “When  the  righteous 
flourish ,”  are  in  prominent  positions  and  in  prosperity.  The  orig- 
inal does  not  restrict  the  case  to  the  holding  of  public  office. 

3.  Whoso  loveth  wisdom  rejoiceth  his  father:  but  he 
that  keepeth  company  with  harlots  spendeth  his  substance. 

The  antithesis  implies  that  the  associate  of  harlots  both  hates 
wisdom  and  brings  sorrow  upon  his  father  s heart. 

4.  The  king  by  judgment  establisheth  the  land : but  he 
that  receiveth  gifts  overthroweth  it. 

The  word  “land”  implies  his  kingdom,  considered  as  involving 
the  welfare  of  society.  By  honest  and  upright  judgment,  good 
order  is  maintained  and  every  good  thing  prospers ; but  a king  or 
judge  who  receives  bribes,  subverts  all  justice  and  ruins  his 
country. 

5.  A man  that  flattereth  his  neighbor  spread eth  a net 
for  his  feet. 

It  is  assumed  that  this  flattery  [Heb.  making  the  tongue  smooth] 
is  practically  falsehood.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  such  flattery,  min- 
istering to  human  pride,  will  be  a snare  to  any  man  unless  he  is 
very  wTise  or  very  humbie. 

6.  In  the  transgression  of  an  evil  man  there  is  a snare  : 
but  the  righteous  doth  sing  and  rejoice. 

A bad  man’s  transgression  proves  a snare  of  ruin  to  him,  and 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIX. 


191 


brings  him  none  of  the  real,  substantial  joy  which  is  the  legitimate 
lot  of  the  righteous.  The  antithesis  implies  the  latter  point. 

7.  The  righteous  considereth  the  cause  of  the  poor : but 
the  wicked  regardeth  not  to  know  it 

“The  righteous  lcnoweth ” [Heb.]  and  takes  pains  to  know,  the 
case  of  the  weak.  The  weak  are  not  necessarily  the  penniless, 
but  rather  the  friendless  and  dependent.  The  wicked  man  does 
not  seek  this  knowledge ; takes  no  pains  to  inform  himself  as  to 
their  case. 

8.  Scornful  men  bring  a city  into  a snare : but  wise  men 
turn  away  wrath. 

Scornful  men  are  probably  those  who  scorn  all  law,  human  or 
divine ; the  lawless  and  self-willed.  The  verb  that  follows  means 
to  blow  up  [as  a fire],  and,  applied  to  the  minds  of  men,  means 
to  inflame  their  passions.  In  this  sense  they  set  the  city  on  fire : 
but  the  wise  allay  [Heb.  turn  back]  wrath. 

9.  If  Si  wise  man  contendeth  with  a foolish  man,  whether 
he  rage  or  laugh,  there  is  no  rest. 

The  words  “if”  and  “there  is’  are  not  represented  in  the  orig- 
inal.— —“A  wise  man  litigates  with  a fool,”  the  verb  referring  le- 
gitimately to  proceedings  before  a court  of  justice.  We  must  at 
least  give  it  the  sense  of  a grave  discussion  of  some  important 

matter  in  issue  between  the  parties. The  proverb  proceeds  to 

say,  “ He  will  rage  and  he  will  laugh” — both  by  turns — “ but  there 
will  be  no  rest.”  Which  of  the  two  will  rage  and  laugh?  Com- 
mentators differ  singularly  on  this  point,  some  assuming  that  this 
is  said  of  the  wise  man;  others  that  it  is  said  of  the  fool.  I accept 
the  latter  construction,  referring  it  to  the  fool,  who,  in  this  dis- 
cussion, will  either  fly  into  a passion,  or  treat  the  case  with  ridi- 
cule and  laughter;  never  with  calm,  dispassionate  consideration; 
never  with  candor  and  honesty,  in  the  absence  of  all  undue  ex- 
citement; never  in  a state  of  mind  well  put  here  as  one  of  rest, 
i.  e.,  from  the  agitations  of  passion  and  folly. 

10.  The  bloodthirsty  hate  the  upright : but  the  just  seek 
his  soul. 

Bloody  men  hate  the  upright  by  a natural  repugnance,  fearing 
justice  from  their  hands.  It  seems  to  be  implied  that  these  men 
of  blood  would  gladly  take  the  life  of  the  upright;  while  on  the 
contrary,  just  men  seek  to  save  his  life,  i.  e.,  the  same  life  which 
the  men  of  blood  seek  to  destroy.  To  “seek  the  soul”  is  here  not 
to  destroy  life  but  to  save. 

11.  A fool  uttereth  all  his  mind  : but  a wise  man  keepeth 
it  in  till  afterwards. 

I understand  this  proverb  to  refer,  not  so  much  to  thoughts 

9 


192 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIX. 


as  to  the  feelings,  passions.  The  Hebrew  word  requires  this  shade 
of  meaning.  A fool  throws  out  [Heb.  causes  to  come  forth]  all 
his  spirit;  * all  the  impulses  of  his  passions  and  excited  feelings. 
The  wise  man  represses  his  feelings;  turns  their  current  back- 
ward. This  verb  occurs  Ps.  89:  9,  “When  the  waves  of  the  sea 
arise,  thou  stillest  them.”  The  proverb  contrasts  the  wise  and  the 
fool  in  the  point  of  self-control  of  passion.  Compare  12:  16. 

12.  If  a ruler  hearken  to  lies,  all  his  servants  are  wicked. 

If  a ruler  bend  his  open  ears  to  falsehood,  he  will  have  servants 
enough  to  fill  those  ears.  His  influence  will  corrupt  them.  They 
will  be  ready  enough  to  gratify  him  with  the  lies  he  loves  to  hear. 

13.  The  poor  and  the  deceitful  man  meet  together:  the 
Lord  lightenetli  both  their  eyes. 

The  English  margin  has  the  true  sense : usurer , and  not  “ flat- 
terer.” The  poor  and  the  usurer,  the  man  oppressed  and  the  man 
who  oppresses  him,  come  in  contact  face  to  face — perhaps  the 
thought  is,  into  unpleasant  collision;  but  let  them  both  remem- 
ber that  they  owe  the  light  of  life,  and  by  consequence,  all  the 
blessings  of  their  existence,  to  the  same  omniscient  and  righteous 

Lord.  The  same  sentiment  appears  in  22 : 2. The  sense  of  his 

relations  to'  God  as  the  author  of  his  being  and  of  all  his  blessings 
will  make  the  poor  man  patient  and  trustful;  the  usurer,  mindful 
of  his  responsibilities  and  of  his  duty  toward  his  poor  brother. 

14.  The  king  that  faithfully  judgeth  the  poor,  his  throne 
shall  be  established  forever. 

As  usual,  the  “poor”  are  here  the  weak,  the  defenseless — the  very 
class  for  whom  God  provides  the  protection  of  civil  law.  There- 
fore when  the  king  meets  the  ends  for  which  God  ordains  human 

government,  God  will  establish  his  throne. The  strain  of  Ps. 

72  applies  this  doctrine  to  King  Messiah.  Indeed  its  full  devel- 
opment can  be  had  only  in  him.  No  other  king  ever  reaches  the 
perfection  of  just  ruling;  the  throne  of  none  other  shall  be  estab- 
lished literally  forever . 

15.  The  rod  and  reproof  give  wisdom  : but  a child  left  to 
himself  bringeth  his  mother  to  shame. 

A child  let  loose  [literally,  “sent  abroad”]  will  bring  shame  upon 
his  mother,  the  naming  of  the  mother  in  this  case  being  perhaps 
a suggestion  that  she  rather  than  the  father  is  under  special  temp- 
tation to  this  fault,  and  is  pre-eminently  the  sufferer  from  it. 

Solomon  believes  in  vigorous  and  effective  discipline  for  the  young 
— a truly  wise  man  . (See  13:  24  and  23:  13.) 

16.  When  the  wicked  are  multiplied,  transgression  in- 
creaseth  : but  the  righteous  shall  see  their  fall. 

*nn 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIX. 


193 


Crime  will  naturally  increase  with  the  numerical  increase  of 
wicked  men,  for  they  will  override  the  public  sentiment  of  the 
good  and  the  restraining  force  of  law.  But  let  not  the  righteous 
lose  hope  and  heart,  for  the  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short. 
They  shall  live  to  see  the  wicked  fall. 

17.  Correct  thy  son,  and  he  shall  give  thee  rest;  yea,  he 
shall  give  delight  unto  thy  soul. 

Due  correction,  the  efficient  moral  training  of  children,  will 
bring  to  the  parent’s  heart  the  fruits  of  joy  and  rest  in  the  end. 

18.  Where  there  is  no  vision,  the  people  perish : but  he 
that  keepeth  the  law,  happy  is  he. 

This  word  “vision”  is  one  of  the  two  most  common  words  for 
prophetic  vision — revelations  made  expressly  from  God  to  inspired 
men,  and  through  them  to  the  people.  The  meaning  here  seems 
to  be  that  where  there  is  no  vision  from  God  revealing  and  en- 
forcing man’s  moral  duty,  there  the  people  will  become  lawless 
and  dissolute.  Such  will,  of  course,  altogether  miss  the  blessed- 
ness of  those  who  keep  the  law. For  the  usage  of  the  verb  ren- 

dered “perish”*  see  Ex.  32:  25  and  2 Chron.  28:  19.  In  both 
these  passages  it  is  very  imperfectly  rendered,  “made  naked;” 
while  the  true  sense  is,  had  demoralized , made  dissolute  and  law- 
less.  The  proverb  is  a rich  testimony  to  the  practical  value  of 

a revelation  from  God  of  man’s  moral  duty  and  of  the  sanctions  of 
the  divine  law. 

19.  A servant  will  not  be  corrected  by  words:  for  though 
he  understand  he  will  not  answer. 

This  servant  is  peristently  disobedient,  obstinate,  mulish. 
“Though  he  may  understand:”  [Heb.]  “no  answer.”  The  doc- 
trine of  the  proverb  is  that  some  appliances,  more  stern  than 
words,  are  demanded.  Of  course  Solomon  assumes  that  right  and 
reason  are  on  the  side  of  the  master  and  not  on  the  side  of  the 
servant — that  servants  have  duties,  and  have  no  excuse  for  stub- 
bornly refusing  to  perform  them. 

20.  Seest  thou  a man  that  is  hasty  in  his  words  ? there  is 
more  hope  of  a fool  than  of  him. 

The  very  same  thing  is  said  of  him  who  is  wise  in  his  own  con- 
ceit (26:  12).  The  man  “hasty  of  words”  speaks  without  pre- 
vious and  preliminary  thinking.  He  who  will  not  think  before 
he  speaks  might  as  well  have  no  thinking  power,  i.  e.,  be  a fool. 

21.  He  that  delicately  bringeth  up  his  servant  from  a 
child  shall  have  him  become  his  son  at  the  length. 

In  this  proverb  the  important  word  ir  each  clause  is  one  of  rare 
* IhD 


194 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXIX. 


occurrence.  In  the  first  clause,  the  verb  means,  to  fondle,  to  pet, 
to  treat  with  indiscriminate  indulgence.  The  word  rendered 
“son”  is  found  only  here.  Some  give  it  the  sense  of  a dissolute, 
lawless  one;  but  the  current  of  critical  opinion  sets  strongly  in 
favor  of  the  sense  son. 

22.  An  angry  man  stirretli  up  strife,  and  a furious  man 
aboundeth  in  transgression. 

See  15:  18  and  26:  21.  “A  furious  man”  is  precisely  a man 
fully  possessed  with  the  spirit  of  wrath,  over  whom  it  has  supreme 
control.  He  will  be  abundant  in  transgression. 

23.  A man’s  pride  shall  bring  him  low  : but  honor  shall 
uphold  the  humble  in  spirit. 

The  humble  of  spirit  shall  take  hold  of  honor — shall  attain  it. 
This  seems  to  be  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew  verb  and  corresponds 
well  with  the  first  clause.  Pride  brings  a man  low  in  general  es- 
teem; humility  raises  him  high. 

24.  Whoso  is  partner  with  a thief  hateth  his  own  soul : 
he  heareth  cursing,  and  bewrayeth  it  not. 

He  who  shares  the  stolen  goods  with  the  thief  is  reckless  of  his 
soul ; acts  as  if  he  hated  it,  and  was  ready  to  bring  on  himself 
damnation.  (See  8 : 36.)  He  is  put  under  oath  to  testify  accord- 
ing to  the  Levitical  law  (Lev.  5:  1),  and  yet  refuses  to  bring  out 
the  active  partner  in  the  transaction.  The  law  referred  to  pro- 
vides that  “if  a soul  shall  hear  the  voice  of  swearing,”  i.  e.}  the 
solemn  adjuration  of  the  officer  of  justice,  binding  him  before  God 
to  testify  to  the  crime  “ whether  he  hath  seen  it  or  known  it,”  and 
attaching  the  awful  penalty — “ If  he  do  not  utter  it,  then  he  shall 

bear  his  iniquity;”  there  is  no  pardon  for  him  Judg.  17:  2 

gives  a historic  case  of  this  sort  of  adjuration. 

25.  The  fear  of  man  bringeth  a snare  : but  whoso  puttetli 
his  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  safe. 

The  fear  of  man  in  the  sense  of  an  undue  solicitude  to  please 
and  fear  to  displease  men,  becomes  a snare  into  sin.  Only  those 
who  trust  in  the  Lord  are  safe,  on  high  above  this  snare.  They 
are  safe  because  they  fear  God  far  more  than  man,  and  trust  in 
him  for  protection  and  for  all  needful  blessings.  Consequently 
they  have  no  occasion  to  feel  sensitively  and  excessively  depend- 
ent on  the  favor  of  men. 

26.  Many  seek  the  ruler’s  favor ; but  every  man’s  judg- 
ment cometh  from  the  Lord. 

Many  seek  the  face  of  the  ruler  to  obtain  judgment  in  their  own 
favor ; but  the  ultimate  decision  in  every  case  is  from  the  Lord. 
His  universal  providence  gives  shape  to  even  the  earthly  destiny 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXX. 


195 


of  man;  much  more  to  his  eternal  reward.  Therefore  let  men 
seek  the  ruler’s  favor  far  less  and  God’s  far  more — for  their  well- 
being both  here  and  hereafter. 

27.  An  unjust  man  is  an  abomination  to  the  just : and 
he  that  is  upright  in  the  way  is  abomination  to  the  wicked. 

The  bad  and  the  good  have  a mutual  dislike,  not  to  say  abhor- 
rence of  each  other.  The  just  abhor  the  unjust  because  they  hate 

and  loathe  wickedness. On  the  other  hand  the  wicked  dislike 

the  upright,  whose  very  name  and  presence  rebuke  them ; whose  in- 
fluence annoys  them  and  perhaps  even  frustrates  their  wicked 
schemes  and  brings  them  to  just  punishment.  There  never  can  be 
any  common,  sympathy  between  men  of  morally  opposite  character. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

This  chapter  and  the  next  are  not  ascribed  to  Solomon;  but 
this  to  Agur  and  the  next  to  Lemuel  and  his  mother.  In  this 
chapter  the  style  and  general  manner  are  peculiar  and  unique, 
quite  unlike  any  thing  we  have  from  the  pen  of  Solomon.  The 
writer  brings  forward  his  points  in  groups.  Two  things  he  prays 
for  (vs.  7-9);  a series  of  four  “generations”  have  their  very  dis- 
tinctive qualities  (vs.  11-14);  four  things  are  insatiable  (vs. 
15,  16);  three,  yea  four  things  are  very  wonderful  and  not  easily 
traced  out  (vs.  18,  19)) ; another  group  of  three  or  four  bring  upon 
society  intolerable  disquiet  (vs.  21-23) ; another  group  of  four 
things  are  each  small  but  very  wise  (vs.  24-28);  a closing  group 
of  three  or  four  are  stately  in  their  movements  (vs.  29-31).  Some 
proverbs  disconnected  and  apparently  independent  of  these  groups 
are  interspersed  occasionally  between  them. 

In  regard  to  the  author  of  this  chapter ; his  time ; his  country — 
in  general,  his  history,  nothing  is  certainly  known.  I see  no 
valid  reason  to  concur  with  those  who  make  Agur  a symbolic 
name  for  Solomon,  meaning  the  collector,  i.  e.,  of  proverbs. 

1.  The  words  of  Agur  the  son  of  Jakeh,  even  tlie 

fropliecy  : the  man  spake  unto  Ithiel,  even  unto  Ithiel  and 
leal, 

The  great  body  of  commentators  concur  with  the  received  ver- 
sion in  making  the  words,  “Jakeh,”  “Ithiel,”  “Ucal,”  proper 
names,  yet  of  persons  whose  history  is  now  utterly  lost.  A few 
critics  [Prof  Moses  Stuart,  and  before  him  Hitzig  and  Bertheau] 
take  these  words,  not  as  proper  nouns  but  as  common  nouns  or 


196 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXX. 


verbs,  and  therefore  give  an  entirely  different  construction  to  v.  1. 
Stuart  translates  the  verse : “ The  words  of  Agur,  the  son  of  her 
who  was  obeyed  in  Massa.  Thus  spake  the  man:  I have  toiled 
for  God,  I have  toiled  for  God,  and  have  ceased.”  He  takes 
Massa  to  be  a province  in  Southern  Arabia,  near  Dumah,  both 
these  names  appearing  among  the  sons  of  Ishmael  (Gen.  25  : 14 
and  1 Chron.  1 : 30),  and  therefore  probably,  like  the  names 
of  his  other  sons,  becoming  subsequently  the  names  of  tribes  and 
countries  in  vast  Arabia.  A scrap  of  stray  history  appears  in 
1 Chron.  4:  39-43,  showing  that  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah  five 
hundred  Simeonites  made  a raid  upon  Southern  Arabia;  found  a 
rich  country ; drove  out  the  ancient  Amalekites  and  held  posses- 
sion of  their  lands.  This  being  in  the  same  region  with  the  sup- 
posed countries  of  Dumah  and  Massa,  it  is  assumed  that  Agur 
lived  in  this  remote  Hebrew  colony, 1 see  no  insuperable  ob- 

jections to  this  view.  The  considerations  in  favor  of  it  are — (1.) 
That  the  received  version  has  too  much  introduction — too  many 
of  the  usual  formulae  of  opening  an  oriental  treatise ; “ the  words 
of;”  “the  prophecy;”  “the  saying  of  the  man,”  etc.  We  have 
no  other  instance  of  three  distinct  announcements  for  an  intro- 
duction. One  only  is  the  rule. (2.)  It  is  slightly  improbable 

that  we  should  have  such  a group  of  proper  names  with  no  clue 

to  their  history. (3.)  In  the  construction  proposed  by  Prof. 

Stuart,  we  have  a natural  and  pertinent  connection  of  thought 
between  the  first  verse  and  the  second.  In  v.  2,  the  word  ren- 
dered “surely”*  should  be  read  for , introducing  the  reason  for 
something  previously  stated.  This  normal  sense  of  the  word  is 
provided  for  thus : “ I have  toiled  to  know  God ; I have  labored 
even  to  weariness  to  find  out  God — and  have  desisted : for  [v.  2] 

I am  very  stupid  intellectually  and  very  ignorant,  etc. (4.) 

The  construction  requires  no  change  in  the  consonants  of  the 
original.  The  vowels  only  and  the  division  into  words  are 

changed. (5.)  The  most  ancient  versions  are  conflicting;  the 

Chaldee  and  Syriac  translators  and  the  Masoretic  punctuators 
make  the  words  in  dispute  proper  nouns,  while  the  Septuagint 

and  Vulgate  make  them  common  nouns. On  the  other  hand, 

the  great  objections  lying  against  Prof.  Stuart’s  construction  are 
the  harshness  of  the  circumlocution — “ the  son  of  her  who  was 
obeyed  in  Massa;”  and  the  authority  of  so  many  of  the  most  an- 
cient witnesses. In  conclusion,  I am  inclined  to  regard  this 

construction  of  Prof.  S.  as  perhaps  admissible,  yet  not  sustained 
by  decisive  authority.  I do  not  find  data  which  suffice  to  put  the 
question  beyond  reasonable  doubt.  Fortunately  the  point  has 
no  vital  importance,  since  it  affects  but  slightly  the  course  of 
thought,  and  not  at  all  the  inspired  authority  of  the  chapter. 

2.  Surely  I am  more  brutish  than  any  man,  and  have 
not  the  understanding  of  a man. 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXX. 


197 


3.  I neither  learned  wisdom,  nor  have  the  knowledge  of 
the  holy. 

The  author  declares  that  his  effort  to  find  out  the  Almighty  to 
perfection  had  been  unsuccessful,  and  he  here  confesses  his  ignor- 
ance and  incapacity.  Probably  these  expressions  must  be  attrib- 
uted jointly  to  his  great  (perhaps  excessive)  modesty  and  to  the 
fact  that  he  has  been  pushing  his  inquiries,  not  so  much  into 
questions  of  practical  duty,  nor  into  the  practical  aspects  of  the 
divine  character,  as  into  those  deep  things  of  God  which  no  human 
mind  can  fathom. 

4.  Who  hath  ascended  up  into  heaven,  or  descended? 
who  hath  gathered  the  wind  in  his  fists  ? who  hath  bound 
the  waters  in  a garment?  who  hath  established  all  the 
ends  of  the  earth  ? what  is  his  name,  and  what  is  his  son’s 
name,  if  thou  canst  tell  ? 

Who  has  gone  up  into  heaven  and  then  come  down  again  [so 
the  Hebrew  runs]  that  he  may  show  us  those  deep  things  of  God 

which  no  human  eye  from  our  earthly  stand-point  can  reach  ? 

The  questions  that  follow  contemplate  God  as  seen  in  the  glory 
and  majesty  of  his  works  of  creation.  Most  appropriately  does 
frail,  feeble  man  look  forth  upon  the  vastness  of  these  works  and 
ask — Who  has  wrought  them?  What  can  I learn  of  his  name, 
i.  e .,  of  his  nature  and  of  the  great  depths  of  his  being,  his  wis- 
dom and  his  power? 

5.  Every  word  of  God  is  pure  : he  is  a shield  unto  them 
that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

6.  Add  thou  not  unto  his  words,  lest  he  reprove  thee, 
and  thou  be  found  a liar. 

If  this  great  God,  the  Maker  of  all  things,  so  manifestly  wise 
and  good,  shall  deign  to  speak  to  mortals,  we  may  be  very  sure 
that  every  word  he  utters  will  be  pure.  See  that  thou  add  nothing 
to  his  words  lest  he  reprove  thee  and  convict  thee  of  representing 
him  falsely.  How  canst  thou  presume  to  add  words  of  thine  own 
to  the  words  of  the  great  God  and  then  to  claim  for  them  his 

sanction  as  if  thou  wert  no  less  wise  than  he  ? Moreover,  since 

this  great  God  proffers  himself  to  us  as  our  protector  and  invites 
our  filial  trust  and  confidence  in  him,  we  may  certainly  assume 
that  his  protection  will  be  most  ample,  a perfect  shield  to  all  who 
put  their  trust  in  him. 

7.  Two  things  have  I required  of  thee;  deny  me  them  not 
before  I die: 

8.  Remove  far  from  me  vanity  and  lies;  give  me  neither 
poverty  nor  riches ; feed  me  with  food  convenient  for  me : 

9.  Lest  I be  full,  and  deny  thee , and  say,  Who  is  the 


198 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXX. 


Lord  ? or  lest  I be  poor,  and  steal,  and  take  the  name  of 
my  God  in  vain . 

Agar  prays  for  two  things:  (1.)  Put  vanity  and  lies  far  from 
my  heart;  let  my  spirit  never  be  polluted,  even  in  the  sight  of  God, 
with  falsehood;  and,  (2.)  Of  earthly  good  let  me  have  a simple 
competence — no  more,  no  less.  Not  more,  lest  becoming  sated  and 
over-fed,  I lose  the  sense  of  my  dependence  upon  God,  and  say  in 
guilty  pride — Who  is  the  Lord?  And  what  do  I need  from  him  ? 
And  not  less,  lest  becoming  impoverished  I should  be  tempted  to 
steal,  and  so  should  dishonor  the  name  of  God ; literally,  u take  it 
up  roughly,”  irreverently.  This  last  point  may  perhaps  refer  to 
the  custom  of  putting  men  under  oath  to  testify  respecting  a theft 
in  respect  to  which  they  are  supposed  to  be  directly  or  indirectly 
implicated.  -Or  it  may  be  assumed  that  theft  naturally  leads  on  to 

the  profaning  of  God’s  name. u Deny  me  them  not  before  I die” 

does  not  mean  (in  the  original)  Let  them  be  granted  me  at  some 
one  point  somewhere  in  my  future  life;  but  this — Let  me  never  be 
denied  them  throughout  all  my  remaining  life.  Deny  them  not  to 
me  while  yet  I shall  not  have  died,  i.  e .,  shall  yet  live. 

10.  Accuse  not  a servant  unto  his  master,  lest  he  curse 
thee,  and  thou  be  found  guilty. 

All  servants  by  reason  of  their  dependent  condition  should  be 
commiserated.  At  least  their  case  should  be  treated  with  careful 
consideration.  Therefore  never  slander  a servant  to  his  master, 
lest  he  curse  thee,  and  lest,  investigation  ensuing,  thou  be  found 
guilty. 

11.  There  is  a generation  that  curseth  their  father,  and 
doth  not  bless  their  mother. 

12.  There  is  a generation  that  are  pure  in  their  own  eyes, 
and  yet  is  not  washed  from  their  filthiness. 

13.  There  is  a generation,  O how  lofty  are  their  eyes  ! 
and  their  eye-lids  are  lifted  up. 

14.  There  is  a generation,  whose  teeth  are  as  swords,  and 
their  jaw-teeth  as  knives,  to  devour  the  poor  from  off  the 
earth,  and  the  needy  from  among  men. 

Four  classes  are  next  named,  briefly  described,  and  obviously 
held  up  to  universal  detestation:  those  who  curse  father  and 
mother  [not  to  bless  is  equivalent  to  curse] ; the  proud  and  self- 
conceited;  the  haughty  and  scornful;  and  the  malicious  and  sav- 
agely cruel.  Let  the  reader  abhor  these  “generations;”  let  those 
who  bear  either  of  these  characters  receive  our  righteous  and  un- 
mitigated reprobation ! 

15.  The  horse-leech  hath  two  daughters,  crying , Give, 
give.  There  are  three  things  that  are  never  satisfied  yea, 
four  things  say  not,  It  is  enough : 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXX. 


199 


16.  The  grave;  and  the  barren  womb;  the  earth  that 
is  not  filled  with  water ; and  the  fire  that  saith  not,  It  is 
enough. 

The  word  rendered  11  horse-leech,”  occurs  here  only.  Obviously 
he  is  a specimen  of  insatiability.  Critics  mostly  agree  that  the 
word  represents  the  vampire — a fiction  of  ancient  mythology,  sup- 
posed to  frequent  the  desert  and  fasten  upon  its  victims  by  night 
to  suck  their  blood.  Its  two  daughters  may  represent  its  organs 
for  drawing  blood.- With  this  ideal  conception  the  writer  com- 

pares four  other  insatiable  things,  as  in  v.  16.  He  does  not  make 
any  moral  application  of  this  group  of  things  that  are  never  satis- 
fied, but  seems  to  rest  with  grouping  them  together  to  illustrate 
each  other. 

17.  The  eye  that  mocketh  at  his  father,  and  despiseth  to 
obey  his  mother,  the  ravens  of  the  valley  shall  pick  it  out, 
and  the  young  eagles  shall  eat  it. 

This  is  a strong  way  of  expressing  a terrible  truth,  viz.:  that 
God  will  bring  condign  and  exemplary  retribution  upon  those  who 
proudly  insult  and  scornfully  disobey  their  parents. 

18.  There  be  three  things  which  are  too  wonderful  for  me, 
yea,  four  which  I know  not : 

19.  The  way  of  an  eagle  in  the  air ; the  way  of  a serpent 
upon  a rock ; the  way  of  a ship  in  the  midst  of  the  sea ; 
and  the  way  of  a man  with  a maid. 

This  group  seems  to  be  wonderful  in  respect  to  leaving  no  trace 
of  their  path  behind  them. 

20.  Such  is  the  way  of  an  adulterous  woman ; she  eateth, 
and  wipeth  her  mouth,  and  saith,  I have  done  no  wicked- 
ness. 

Eating  and  then  wiping  the  mouth  are  figures  of  speech.  The 
real  thing  intended  is  the  crime  which  her  name  indicates  and 
which  she  would  fain  conceal  by  denial. 

21.  For  three  things  the  earth  is  disquieted,  and  for  four 
which  it  can  not  bear  : 

22.  For  a servant  when  he  reigneth;  and  a fool  when  he 
is  filled  with  meat; 

23.  For  an  odious  woman  when  she  is  married  ; and  a 
handmaid  that  is  heir  to  her  mistress. 

The  four  things  grouped  here  are  specially  irritating  and  unen 

durable.  All  are  in  their  nature  social  evils. The  servant  is 

unfit  to  be  a king — can  not  be  supposed  to  have  the  requisite  quali- 
fications. Consequently  his  administration  will  be  intolerable. • 


200 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXX. 


Quite  analogous  is  the  case  of  a handmaid  who  becomes  heir  to 
her  mistress.  Very  few  can  bear  a great  fortune,  falling  to  them 

suddenly. The  moral  instruction  in  this  series  as  in  several  of 

the  others  is  conveyed  mainly  in  the  grouping — in  the  bringing  of 
various  things  together,  some  of  which  the  reader  is  supposed  to 
understand  well,  and  the  rest  he  may  infer  to  be  of  like  sort. 

24.  There  be  four  things  which  are  little  upon  the  earth, 
but  they  are  exceeding  wise : 

25.  The  ants  are  a people  not  strong,  yet  they  prepare 
their  meat  in  the  summer ; 

26.  The  conies  are  hut  a feeble  folk,  yet  make  they  their 
houses  in  the  rocks  ; 

27.  The  locusts  have  no  king,  yet  go  they  forth  all  of 
them  by  bands ; 

28.  The  spider  taketh  hold  with  her  hands,  and  is  in 
kings’  palaces. 

Over  against  the  group  of  human  follies  which  grievously  dis- 
quiet the  earth  and  which  society  can  not  well  bear,  there  appears 
here  a group  of  four  things  distinguished  -for  being  small  but 

eminently  wise,  sagacious. Critics  have  sought  diligently  to 

identify  these  little  animals.  There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  “ant” 
and  the  “locust.”  But  the  coney  p.  rabbit]  and  the  “spider” 
have  involved  much  discussion  and  difference  of  opinion.  The 
question  turns  upon  the  etymology  of  the  original  word;  the  voice 
of  the  earliest  versions;  the  testimony  of  the  cognate  languages, 
especially  the  Arabic,  still  a living  tongue;  and  the  present  natural 
history  of  these  animals  in  those  countries.  Judging  from  these 
sources  of  evidence,  modern  critics  mostly  agree  that  the  coney 
[rabbit]  is  not  the  animal  designated  here,  but  that  he  is  either 
the  mountain  rat  [some  say  mouse]  or  a somewhat  larger  animal, 
known  in  scientific  zoology  as  the  “ Hyrax  Syriacus,”  found  at  this 
day  in  those  countries,  at  out  the  size  of  the  rabbit;  yet  not  like 
him  adapted  to  burrowing  in  the  ground,  but  living  in  the  clefts  of 

the  rocks. For  similar  reasons  the  “spider”  is  rejected,  and 

the  house-lizard  takes  his  place  as  the  animal  spoken  of  here.  It 
has  organs  much  resembling  the  human  hand  with  which  it  seizes 

upon  house-flies  and  spiders  as  its  prey  and  its  food. The 

remarkable  instincts  of  this  group  of  small  animals  constitute 
their  special  peculiarity.  Each  in  his  way  seems  to  be  “ exceed- 
ing wise.”  In  these  respects  they  suggest  what  man  might  do  if 
he  were  to  give  himself  earnestly  to  the  study  and  the  practice  of 
the  wisdom  for  which  God  has  given  him  the  capacity. 

29.  There  be  three  things  which  go  well,  yea,  four  are 
comely  in  going : 

80.  A lion,  which  is  strongest  among  beasts,  and  turneth 
not  away  for  any  ; 


PROVERBS — CHAP.  XXXI. 


201 


31.  A grey-hound  ; a he-goat  also ; and  a king,  against 
whom  there  is  no  rising  up. 

This  group  of  four  is  distinguished  for  stately  movement. 

The  word  rendered  “ grey-hound  ” (literally,  one  compassed  or 
girded  about  as  to  the  loins),  not  being  a proper  name  but  a de- 
scription, has  given  occasion  to  much  diversity  of  opinion;  e.  g., 
the  grey-hound;  the  zebra;  the  war-horse;  and  the  wrestler.  I 
doubt  if  the  data  accessible  to  us  are  sufficient  to  decide  this 

question  with  absolute  certainty. The  moral  lesson,  if  any,  in 

this  group  of  stately  travelers  is  by  no  means  obvious.  Perhaps 
it  looks  toward  the  thought  in  the  verses  that  follow. 

32.  If  thou  hast  done  foolishly  in  lifting  up  thyself,  or  if 
thou  hast  thought  evil,  lay  thy  hand  upon  thy  mouth. 

If  thou  hast  sought  to  distinguish  thyself  by  a lofty  and  stately 
bearing  before  thy  fellows,  and  in  this  hast  done  foolishly  or  hast 
had  a malign  intent — “ hand  to  mouth,”  the  silence  of  modest  hu- 
mility best  becomes  thee.  Give  no  utterance  to  the  evil  thought; 
no  outward  development  to  the  evil  deed. 

33.  Surely  the  churning  of  milk  bringeth  forth  butter, 
and  the  wringing  of  the  nose  bringeth  forth  blood  : so  the 
forcing  of  wrath  bringeth  forth  strife. 

The  decided  self-control  indicated  by  laying  the  hand  upon  the 
mouth  is  strongly  recommended  and  enforced  by  the  well  known 
law  which  is  so  finely  put  here  in  triple  illustration:  The  violent 
agitation  of  milk  brings  butter;  the  wringing  of  the  nose,  blood; 
and  a similar  rough  treatment  of  man’s  sensibilities  to  anger  fires 
up  mad  strife. This  running  comment  assumes  a logical  con- 

nection between  the  four  things  noted  for  stately  going  (vs.  28- 
31);  the  putting  on  of  proud  and  haughty  airs;  the  admonition 
against  it  appended  (v.  32  ) : and  this  final  enforcement  of  the  ad- 
monition in  v.  33. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

1.  The  words  of  king  Lemuel,  the  prophecy  that  his 
mother  taught  him. 

This  chapter,  as  well  as  the  preceding,  is  unique  and  unlike  the 
first  twenty-nine  of  this  book.  It  comes  not  from  Solomon,  but 
from  a certain  king  Lemuel  and  his  mother,  of  whom  nothing  fun 


202 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXXI. 


ther  is  certainly  known.  It  is  in  two  parts,  vs.  1-9  being  a wise 
mother’s  counsels  to  her  son  with  reference  to  his  responsibilities 
and  duties  as  king;  while  vs.  10-31  recite  the  qualities  and  praises 
of  a virtuous  woman.  The  same  mother’s  hand  may  be  supposed 

to  have  originated  both  parts  of  this  interesting  chapter. This 

latter  portion  of  twenty-two  verses  is  an  acrostic  on  the  Hebrew 
alphabet,  each  successive  verse  commencing  with  the  successive 
letters  of  this  alphabet — a method  due,  we  may  suppose,  jointly  to 
the  current  literary  taste  and  to  its  actual  value  as  an  aid  to  the 
memory. 

2.  What,  my  son  ? and  what,  the  son  of  my  womb  ? and 
what,  the  son  of  my  vows  ? 

These  questions  and  repetitions  must  be  understood  as  the  nat- 
ural expression  of  strong  maternal  affection.  What  shall  I say  to 
thee,  0 my  beloved  son  ? How  can  I express  all  the  interest  I 
feel  in  thy  future  course  of  life,  in  the  virtue  and  the  wisdom  with 
which  thou  shalt  meet  the  responsibilities  and  withstand  the  temp- 
tations incident  to  a youthful  prince  ascending  his  throne. 

“ The  son  of  my  vows”  finds  a pertinent  illustration  in  the  mother 
of  Samuel  (1  Sam.  1:  11). 

3.  Give  not  thy  strength  unto  women,  nor  thy  ways  to 
that  which  destroyeth  kings. 

That  this  admonition  has  not  only  a place  but  the  first  place  in 
this  series  of  maternal  counsels  is  due,  not  to  her  lack  of  modesty, 
but  to  her  superior  discernment,  her  searching  knowledge  of  hu- 
man nature,  and  her  just  apprehension  of  the  dangers  incident 
even  in  that  age  to  the  almost  unlimited  facilities  of  indulgence 
which  accompanied  royalty,  often  to  the  premature  enervation  and 
too  speedy  ruin  of  kings. 

4.  It  is  not  for  kings,  O Lemuel,  it  is  not  for  kings  to 
drink  wine  ; nor  for  princes  strong  drink : 

5.  Lest  they  drink,  and  forget  the  law,  and  pervert  the 
judgment  of  any  of  the  afflicted. 

6.  Give  strong  drink  unto  him  that  is  ready  to  perish, 
and  wine  to  those  that  be  of  heavy  hearts. 

7.  Let  him  drink  and  forget  his  poverty,  and  remember 
his  misery  no  more. 

The  next  danger  is  from  wine.  Most  expressively  does  she  say 
— “It  is  not  for  kings  to  drink  wine:”  this  indulgence,  this  form 
of  excitement,  is  for  every  reason  unbecoming  and  unfitting  tq  one 
who  bears  the  responsibilities  of  a throne.  Men  who  drink  wine 
will  surely  increase  their  own  danger  of  forgetting  the  law  and 
perverting  their  own  administration  of  justice.  How  admirably 
does  she  assume  that  her  son  is  raised  to  the  throne,  not  to  reach 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXXI. 


203 


higher  facilities  for  self-indulgence,  but  to  bear  worthily  a higher 
class  of  responsibilities ; to  rule  under  God  for  the  protection  and 
vindication  of  human  rights,  especially  the  rights  of  the  weak  and 
afflicted  ! Noble  woman  ! Our  hearts  instinctively  honor  thee  for 
these  admirable  sentiments,  so  worthily  put  in  fitting  words  ! 

Strong  drink  may  have  its  uses  for  medicine.  It  may  be  useful 
to  rally  the  waning  vitality  of  one  just  perishing  [Heb.],  or  it 
may  bring  an  oblivion  of  grief  to  the  bitter  of  soul.  If  there  are 
cases  of  extremest  wretchedness  in  which  it  is  better  to  drown 
sorrow  at  the  expense  even  of  drowning  sober  thought  and  the 
conscious  self-possession  of  one’s  intellectual  and  moral  faculties, 
then  let  strong  drink  go  to  their  relief ! But  whoever  can  bear 
the  ills  of  life  with  manly  heroism,  or  better,  with  Christian  res- 
ignation, let  him  never  seek  oblivion  of  his  sorrows  in  the  mad- 
dening cup! But  alas  for  those  who  claim  for  themselves  the 

privileges  and  prerogatives  of  being  all  their  days  “ready  to  per- 
ish !”  How  little  of  manhood  is  shortly  left  to  them ! 

8.  Open  thy  mouth  for  the  dumb  in  the  cause  of  all  such 
as  are  appointed  to  destruction. 

9.  Open  thy  mouth,  judge  righteously,  and  plead  the 
cause  of  the  poor  and  needy. 

Let  the  king  deem  it  his  first  glory  that  God  has  given  him  a 
mouth  to  plead  effectually  for  those  who  are  dumb  as  to  pleading 
for  themselves. “Such  as  are  appointed  to  destruction,”  is  liter- 

ally [in  Hebrew]  all  the  sons  of  bereavement,  i.  e.,  the  orphans  who 
have  no  father  and  no  mother  to  plead  in  their  behalf.  So  in  the 
next  verse,  “ the  poor  and  the  needy  ” comprise  all  those  classes 
who  are  defenseless  against  oppression,  and  for  whom  therefore 
the  great  Father  provides  the  protection  of  civil  law  and  the 
power  of  righteous  kings. 

10.  Who  can  find  a virtuous  woman  ? for  her  price  is  far 
above  rubies. 

Here  opens  an  admirable  portrait  of  a model  woman.  Of  course 
the  picture  is  laid  amid  the  scenes  of  oriental  life  and  adapts  it- 
self to  the  usages  of  those  times.  Yet  every-where  we  have  the 
qualities  of  industry,  diligence,  devotion  to  the  duties  of  her 
sphere,  love  and  esteem  for  her  husband,  care  of  her  family,  and, 
to  crown  the  whole,  the  spirit  of  kindness  toward  all  and  of  true 

piety  toward  God. “Virtuous”  is  here  in  a somewhat  broader 

sense  than  simply  moral  purity,  connubial  chastity.  It  is  rather 
the  old  Koman  sense  of  virtus — energy,  capability — describing  the 
woman  who  fills  every  sphere  of  her  duty  capably  and  nobly. 
Where  will  you  find  such  a woman?  Her  price  is  above  rubies. 

11.  The  heart  of  her  husband  doth  safely  trust  in  her,  so 
that  he  shall  have  no  need  of  spoil. 


204 


PROVERBS-CHAP.  XXXI. 


12.  She  will  do  him  good  and  not  evil  all  the  days  of  her 
life. 

The  heart  of  her  husband  can  safely  trust  her  in  all  respects — 
not  only  in  her  love  and  fidelity — though  these  are  painfully  rare 
qualities  in  oriental  households — but  in  the  management  of  prop- 
erty, in  the  economy  and  frugality  of  her  household.  The  latter 
is  the  point  specially  in  mind  here.  Her  husband  will  feel  no 
need  of  spoil;  good  management  will  insure  to  him  ample  supplies 
for  all  family  wants  without  resorting  to  the  freebooter  s robbery. 
Such  a wife  is  a richer  treasure  than  a great  estate. 

13.  She  seeketh  wool,  and  flax,  and  worketh  willingly 
with  her  hands.  * 

She  looks  after  wool  and  flax — all  the  clothing  of  the  household 
in  those  ages  being  of  domestic  and  really  home  manufacture. 
Pertinently  it  is  said  of  her,  “She  worketh  with  the  willingness 
of  her  hands  ” [Heb.],  implying  perhaps  both  a cheerful  alacrity 
and  that  energy  which  we  call  “working  with  a will 

14.  She  is  like  the  merchants’  ships;  she  bringeth  her 
food  from  afar. 

She  acquaints  herself  with  the  best  sources  of  supply,  and  there- 
fore knows  where  to  get  the  best  provisions  at  the  lowest  cost,  like 
the  merchant  vessels  which  bring  valuable  products  from  far 
where  they  can  be  furnished  best  and  cheapest.  Fine  business 
qualities  are  these  of  the  oriental  housewife ! 

15.  She  riseth  also  while  it  is  yet  night,  and  giveth  meat 
to  her  household,  and  a portion  to  her  maidens. 

Early  rising  was  in  those  times  and  countries  universal,  save 
with  the  professional  sluggard.  This  matron  rises  while  yet  it  is 
night,  and  breakfast  is  over  ere  the  day  calls  men  to  their  labor. 

16.  She  considereth  a field,  and  buyeth  it:  with  the  fruit 
of  her  hands  she  planteth  a vineyard. 

One  of  the  last  things  we  should  expect  in  such  a list  appears 
here.  She  studies  the  value  and  capabilities  of  a field  and  then 
proceeds  to  buy  it.  It  is  intimated  (v.  23)  that  her  husband  is  a 
man  of  public  responsibilities,  one  of  the  elders  of  the  land,  sit- 
ting in  court — the  place  where  judicial  proceedings  were  held. 
Hence  she  relieves  him,  it  would  seem,  as  much  as  possible  from 

the  cares  of  business,  not  only  within  doors  but  without. “ With 

the  fruit  of  her  hands,  she  planteth  a vineyard.”  It  is  not  said, 
with  her  own  hands,  but  rather  with  the  results  of  her  labor  else- 
where applied. 

17.  She  girdeth  her  loins  with  strength,  and  strengtheneth 
her  arms. 


PROVERBS  -CHAP.  XXXI. 


205 


She  does  not  shrink  from  such  use  of  her  physical  strength  as 
naturally  gives  more  strength.  In  her  view,  weakness  was  not 
among  the  womanly  virtues. 

18.  She  perceiveth  that  her  merchandise  is  good : her 
candle  goeth  not  out  by  night. 

The  original  suggests  the  idea  of  taste.  She  has  the  good  taste, 
t.  e.,  judgment  to  see  that  the  things  she  buys  are  the  best  of  their 
kind. 

19.  She  layetli  her  hands  to  the  spindle,  and  her  hands 
hold  the  distaff. 

This  was  before  the  days  of  cotton  mills  and  machinery.  The 
mothers  and  daughters  must  have  had  incessant  occupation. 

20.  She  stretcheth  out  her  hand  to  the  poor;  yea,  she 
reacheth  forth  her  hands  to  the  needy. 

By  a beautiful  correspondence  of  ideas  she  not  only  puts  forth 
her  hand  to  the  spindle  and  the  distaff,  but  also  as  a “ helping-hand  ” 
to  the  poor  and  the  needy.  Her  heart  is  large.  Its  sympathies 
and  cares  reach  out  far  beyond  her  own  household. 

21.  She  is  not  afraid  of  the  snow  for  her  household ; for 
all  her  household  are  clothed  with  scarlet. 

Some  of  the  critics  plead  strongly  for  the  reading  which  appears 
in  the  margin  of  the  English  Bible:  “clothed,”  not  with  scarlet, 
but  u with  double  garments ” This  forms  the  Hebrew  word  from 
another  root,  but  with  better  sense.  For  what  has  a scarlet  color 
to  do  with  protection  against  snow  and  cold  ? But  double  clothing 
as  against  cold  and  snow  is  entirely  in  place. 

22.  She  maketh  herself  coverings  of  tapestry ; her  cloth- 
ing is  silk  and  purple. 

The  word  for  “coverings  of  tapestry”  naturally  means  bed- 
covering. 

23.  Her  husband  is  known  in  the  gates,  when  he  sitteth 
among  the  elders  of  the  land. 

Her  husband  is  no  sluggard ; no  cypher  in  the  world.  His  place 
of  being  known  is  not  in  the  street-corners  nor  in  the  dram-shops,  • 
but  “in  the  gates,”  where  all  courts  were  held  and  all  public  bus- 
iness transacted.  There  he  makes  his  presence  felt. 

24.  She  maketh  fine  linen,  and  selleth  it;  and  delivereth 
girdles  unto  the  merchants. 

She  not  only  manufactures  the  clothing  necessary  for  her  house- 
hold, but  some  for  export  as  well.  By  this  means  she  is  able, 


206 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXXI. 


like  the  merchant  ships,  to  bring  her  food  (some  of  it)  “from 
far”  (v.  14). 

25.  Strength  and  honor  are  her  clothing ; and  she  shall 
rejoice  in  time  to  come. 

Clad  with  strength  and  honor,  she  laughs  [Heb.]  at  the  terrors 
of  the  future.  She  fears  no  such  evils  as  famine  or  winter.  So 
fully  is  she  prepared  for  emergencies  that  she  knows  no  anxiety 
as  to  future  wants.  She  looks  only  with  joy  into  the  future. 

26.  She  openeth  her  mouth  with  wisdom ; and  in  her 
tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness. 

It  is  only  what  we  should  expect  from  so  much  practical  good 
sense  in  her  business  that  her  speech  would  be  with  words  of  wis- 
dom. It  testifies  to  the  wealth  of  her  heart’s  love  for  all  that  in 
her  tongue  is  “the  law  of  kindness.”  She  lives^to  make  others 
blessed,  even  all  who  come  within  the  range  of  her  influence. 

27.  She  looketh  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household,  and 
eateth  not  the  bread  of  idleness. 

These  are  comprehensive  statements,  summing  up  the  numerous 
particulars  already  given. 

28.  Her  children  arise  up,  and  call  her  blessed : her 
husband  also,  and  he  praiseth  her. 

“Arise  up”  to  make  their  testimony  the  more  emphatic  and  im- 
pressive. They  pronounce  her  blessed — worthy  of  honor  and  of 
praise — worthy  of  the  joy  that-  comes  by  reaction  from  so  much 
well-doing.  Her  husband  has  abundant  cause  to  join  in  these  tes- 
timonials to  her  princely  worth. 

29.  Many  daughters  have  done  virtuously,  but  thou  ex- 
cellest  them  all. 

The  character  here  described  is  a paragon  of  womanly  virtues. 
While  others  have  done  well,  she  excels  them  all. 

30.  Favor  is  deceitful,  and  beauty  is  vain : but  a woman 
that  feareth  the  Lord,  she  shall  be  praised. 

“Favor”  appropriately  means  grace  of  person,  and  probably, 
here,  of  manner.  Stuart  gives  it  “ loveliness.”  These  qualities  of 
person  are  deceptive  and  more  or  less  transient ; but  qualities  that 
lie  in  the  heart,  and  especially  those  of  true  piety,  have  enduring 
value  and  deserve  unqualified  commendation. 

31.  Give  her  of  the  fruit  of  her  hands;  and  let  her  own 
works  praise  her  in  the  gates. 

The  best  critics  take  the  word  rendered  “give”  from  a root 
which  may  mean  to  praise.  Praise  her  according  to  the  fruit  of 


PROVERBS— CHAP.  XXXI. 


207 


her  hands.  Let  all  her  works  praise  her  in  the  great  assembly 
of  the  people. The  moral  bearing  of  such  an  example,  so  beau- 

tifully commended,  must  have  been  eminently  wholesome  in  those 
ancient  times.  It  is  scarcely  less  so  in  our  age,  although  the 
modes  of  domestic  life  and  labor  have  so  greatly  changed.  The 
same  qualities  of  massive  goodness;  the  same  capabilities  for  fill- 
ing perfectly  her  domestic  sphere;  the  same  words  of  wisdom  in 
her  mouth  and  the  same  law  of  kindness  on  her  tongue,  are  never 
out  of  order — must  be  in  every  age  the  cardinal  elements  of  woman’s 
power  and  of  woman’s  worth.  The  verdict  of  the  good  through 
all  ages  goes  unanimously  to  the  praise  of  such  mothers  of  man- 
kind. 


ECCLESIASTES 


INTRODUCTION. 


N o one  of  the  canonical  books  of  the  Bible  has  been  inter 
preted  more  variously  than  this.  No  one  has  seemed  to  tax  the 
skill  of  the  best  critics  more  severely.  This  diversity  of  views 
has  not  been  limited  to  the  exposition  of  particular  passages,  but 
has  reached  the  fundamental  questions  of  authorship  and  date, 
the  object  of  the  author  in  his  book,  and  the  manner  in  which 
he  aims  to  accomplish  it.  While  many  have  accepted  the  testi- 
mony of  the  book  itself  that  Solomon  was  the  author,  some  have 
utterly  denied  this,  attributing  it  to  an  unknown  writer  subsequent 
to  the  restoration — in  the  age  of  Ezra,  or  of  Malachi,  or  even  of 
the  Maccabees.  And  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  book,  some 
have  accounted  it  a philosophical  essay  on  the  chief  good  of  man  ; 
others,  a record  of  the  actual  experiences  of  the  author  and  of 
his  varying  moods  of  thought  and  feeling;  while  yet  another 
class  have  in  a sort  combined  these  two  theories,  supposing  that 
the  author  aims  to  teach,  first  what  is,  then  what  is  not,  man’s 
highest  good,  and  how  to  insure  and  not  to  miss  it,  drawing 
largely  from  his  own  experience  as  well  as  from  the  wide  range 

of  his  personal  observation. Critics  have  also  held  opposite 

opinions  on  the  question  whether  the  author  expresses  skeptical 
views  as  to  the  future  life  and  the  moral  government  of  God  in 
this  ; and  if  so,  whether  he  states  them  as  his  own  convictions 
or  as  the  sentiments  of  a supposed  objector. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  some  of  these  points  affect  not  merely 

(209) 


210 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  critical  but  the  popular  mind  and  serve  to  make  the  perusal 
of  this  book  perplexing  and  unsatisfactory.  Yet  all  critics  agree 
that  the  book  is  truly  a part  of  the  Jewish  sacred  Scriptures,  re- 
ceived into  their  canon  by  the  same  authority  as  other  books  and 
indorsed  by  Christ  and  his  Apostles  with  their  divine  sanction. 
There  can  therefore  be  not  the  least  doubt  that  the  book,  legiti- 
mately interpreted,  is  “ profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for 
correction  and  instruction  in  righteousness”  (2  Tim.  3:  16.) 
Can  it  be  so  interpreted  as  to  bring  out  its  inherent  moral  power 
and  redeem  it  from  dangerous  or  at  least  damaging  misapprehen- 
sion ? It  is  a delicate,  not  to  say  difficult,  undertaking.  I ap- 

proach it  with  diffidence,  yet  with  the  hope  that  the  conclusions 
which  have  proved  in  the  main  satisfactory  to  myself  will  also 

prove  to  be  somewhat  so  to  others. My  views  differ  in  some 

respects  widely  from  those  of  many  able  critics,  some  of  whom 
( e . g .,  Stuart  and  Hengstenberg)  are  evangelical,  but  most  of  whom 
are  neological.  Of  their  opinions  it  behooves  me  to  speak  respect, 
fully,  and  of  my  own  not  dogmatically.  I do  not  propose  in  these 
notes  to  controvert  the  opinions  of  others  extensively,  but  rather 
to  present  my  own  with  only  brief  allusions  to  the  views  and  argu- 
ments of  those  from  whom  I differ,  deeming  this  method  best 
adapted  to  promote  the  interest  and  profit  of  the  class  for  whom  I 
write. 

It  will  be  useful  to  the  reader  to  study  with  care  the  following 
points  which  belong  naturally  to  an  introduction : 

I.  The  Author. 

II.  The  theme  and  special  aim  of  the  book. 

III.  The  style  or  dialect. 

IY.  The  author’s  alleged  skepticism. 

Y.  His  alleged  epicureanism,  in  commending  “mirth”  and  pres- 
ent enjoyment. 

YI.  The  practical  value  of  the  book  for  the  age  when  it  was 
written  and  for  all  ages. 

I.  The  Author. — I accept  the  testimony  of  the  book  as  to  its 
author,  and  hold  that  it  was  written  by  Solomon.  His  name  is  not 
given,  but  he  is  described  so  fully  and  precisely  as  to  preclude  all 
doubt.  The  author  was  a “ son  of  David  and  king  in  Jerusalem  ” 
(v.  1);  was  “king  over  Israel  in  Jerusalem”  (chap.  1:  12).  Solo- 
mon is  the  only  man  in  whom  these  conditions  meet.  And  there 


INTRODUCTION. 


211 


is  no  apparent  reason  why  the  omission  of  his  name  should  preju- 
dice his  claim  of  authorship.  He  may  have  had  reasons  for  this 
omission,  some  of  which  may  be  suggested  in  the  sequel.  Yet 
further,  the  entire  current  of  Jewish  tradition  sustains  his  author- 
ship. Both  Stuart  and  Hengstenberg,  though  they  deny  that  Solo- 
mon was  the  author,  admit  that  the  voice  of  the  early  Jewish  and 
Christian  fathers  down  to  the  sixteenth  century  is  unanimous  for 
Solomon.  This  testimony  of  the  Jewish  fathers,  running  back 
nearly  or  quite  to  the  age  of  the  compilers  of  the  canon,  should 
have  great  weight. 

Moreover,  the  account  which  the  author  gives  of  the  salient 
points  of  his  life  (chap.  2 : 4-10)  identifies  him  as  being  really 
Solomon.  “I  made  me  great  works;  I builded  me  houses,”  etc.; 
“I  gathered  me  silver  and  gold;  I was  great  and  increased  more 
than  all”  [not  merely  all  kings  but  all  men]  “that  were  before 
me  in  Jerusalem.”  Those  who  deny  that  Solomon  wrote  the  book 
find  themselves  compelled  to  admit  that  the  speaker  here  is  Solo- 
mon— introduced  as  they  suppose  by  the  writer  to  say  these  things 
and  then  withdraw.  But  according  to  the  book  this  “1”  is  the 
author  himself. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  opening  statement  of  the  book  is  one 
of  the  usual  forms  in  which  the  Hebrew  writers  introduce  them- 
selves to  their  readers  and  claim  authorship.  “ The  words  of  the 
preacher , the  son  of  David,  king  in  Jerusalem.”  So  we  have  “ The 
words  of  Jeremiah”  etc.  (Jer.  1:  1);  “ The  words  of  Amos ” 
(Amos  1:  1).  Hence  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  writer  in- 
tended to  represent  himself  to  be  Solomon.  The  reference  to  his 
preeminent  wisdom  and  to  his  “setting  in  order  many  proverbs” 
(chap.  12:  9)  bears  toward  the  same  result.  Throughout  the 
entire  range  of  Jewish  history  Solomon  stands  forth  preeminent 
for  wisdom  and  the  only  Jewish  author  known  to  the  world  as 

“setting  in  order  many  proverbs.” All  these  points  concur  to 

show  that  the  writer  claimed  to  be  Solomon,  and  therefore  prove 
either  that  he  was  Solomon  and  said  these  things  in  honest  truth 
of  himself,  or  was  a pretender,  trying  to  pass  himself  off  for  what 
he  was  not;  in  other  words,  an  impostor.  The  latter  alternative 

is  to  my  mind  exceedingly  revolting. The  fact  that  Solomon 

styles  himself  “the  preacher”  (Heb.  “Coheleth”)  bears  not  at  all 
against  his  being  the  author.  The  best  criticism  sustains  this 
sense  of  the  Hebrew  word,  given  even  by  the  translator  of  the 


212 


INTRODUCTION 


Septuagint  who  translates  “ Ecclesiastes ” — one  who  addresses  a 
public  assembly — a preacher. — By  the  use  of  this  term  he  meant 
to  indicate  that  in  this  book  he  appears,  not  in  his  usual  and  well 
known  character,  of  a king  on  his  throne ; not  as  a monarch  on 
the  tribunal  of  justice,  but  simply  a preacher  of  moral  truth.  He 
comes  forth  with  a moral  purpose,  to  exhort  his  fellow-men  to  de- 
sist from  seeking  their  supreme  good  in  sensual  enjoyment.  He 
comes  to  reason  with  them  of  “righteousness,  temperance,  and  a 
judgment  to  come.”  He  lays  off  for  the  time  his  robes  of  royalty, 
and  is  simply  a preacher . The  term  therefore  is  eminently  appro- 
priate for  Solomons  use  to  designate  his  purpose  and  character 
in  this  book. 

I am  well  aware  that  the  authorship  of  Solomon  has  been  boldly 
denied,  and  that  this  denial  has  been  defended  with  much  learning 
and  by  arguments  which,  if  not  irrelevant,  must  be  admitted  to  have 

weight. The  main  arguments  are  drawn  from  two  sources: 

(1.)  The  dialect  in  which  the  book  is  written;  and  (2.)  The  inci- 
dental allusions  to  existing  circumstances,  e.  y.,  unjust  rulers; 
governmental  oppression ; a state  of  public  calamity  and  of  gen- 
eral despondency.  Those  who  deny  that  Solomon  was  the  author 
claim  that  on  both  these  grounds  the  book  could  not  have  been 
written  by  him,  since  neither  its  dialect  nor  the  historical  facts 
which  it  assumes  to  be  then  existing  belong  to  his  age.  These 
main  points  will  receive  attention  in  their  place.  A few  minor 
points  may  be  disposed  of  briefly  here. 

Hengstenberg  boldly  takes  the  strongest  ground,  saying,  “ The 
book  of  Ecclesiastes  was  not  only  not  composed  by  Solomon,  but 
does  not  even  pretend  to  have  been”  (pp.  44  and  8).  This  asser- 
tion may  be  left  to  the  reader’s  good  sense.  Any  one  can  see  what 
the  author  of  the  book  does  say  of  himself. It  need  not  sur- 

prise us  that  after  this  assertion,  Hengstenberg  should  suggest  that 
when  the  author  wrote  (chap.  1:  12)  “I,  the  preacher,  was  king 
over  Israel,”  he  “forgot  himself,”  i.  e.,  it  slipped  his  mind  for  the 
moment  that  he  was  only  to  personate  and  act  the  part  of  Sol- 
omon, and  so,  unconsciously,  he  virtually  said,  “I  am  Solomon.” 
But  is  it  entirely  legitimate  for  an  interpreter  to  assume  that  his 
author  did  not  know  what  he  said,  and  did  not  say  what  he  meant, 

or  at  least  ought  to  have  meant? Prof.  Stuart  avers  that  it  can 

not  be  Solomon  who  says  (1 : 12),  “I  was  king  in  Jerusalem,”  be- 
cause the  tense  of  “was”  implies  past  time  merely  to  the  exclusion 


INTRODUCTION. 


21S 


of  present,  i.  e.,  I was  but  am  not  now.  Solomon  was  king  till  his 
death,  and  therefore  could  not  have  said,  “I  was  king.”  But  this 
is  a very  extraordinary  mistake  for  such  a critic  as  Prof.  Stuart, 
since  it  is  a well  settled  principle  that  this  Hebrew  preter  tense 
often  implies  past  time  coming  down  to  and  including  the  present. 
I was  and  am  still.  Indeed  Prof.  S.  himself,  in  this  very  commen- 
tary, declares  and  applies  this  principle,  and  refers  to  the  grammar 
in  proof  of  it.  (See  his  comment  on  chap.  3 : 15,  on  p.  179,  and  on 
chap.  6:  10,  p.  235.)  Besides,  if  there  were  some  force  instead  of 
none  at  all  in  this  criticism  of  his,  what  should  forbid  the  sense — 
I was  king  when  I made  the  experiments  in  pleasure-seeking  to 
which  I now  call  your  attention  ? Just  now  I am  rather  the  preacher 

than  the  king. Again,  he  says,  “How  strange  that  Solomon 

should  tell  his  readers  that  he  was  king  in  Jerusalem,”  a fact  that 
every  body  would  know.  But  this  objection  disappears  when  you 
admit  the  fact  that  Solomon  wrote,  or  at  least  may  have  written, 
not  for  his  Hebrew  subjects  only  or  even  chiefly,  but  for  people  in 
outlying  countries  and  onward  in  coming  ages — a fact  of  which 

the  book  affords  very  strong  if  not  conclusive  proof. When 

Solomon  says  (1:  16),  “I  acquired  more  wisdom  than  all  who 
were  in  Jerusalem  before  me,”  Prof.  S.  assumes  that  he  must  com- 
pare himself  with  kings  only,  of  whom  there  was  but  one — David. 
But  what  forbids  that  he  should  compare  himself  with  all  men  ? 
And  how  much  is  the  matter  helped  on  his  own  hypothesis,  which 
is  that  some  unknown  writer  in  the  age  of  Ezra  or  Malachi  put 

these  words  in  the  mouth  of  Solomon? Again,  he  objects  that 

it  was  not  modest  for  Solomon  to  speak  of  his  own  wisdom  as  he 

does  in  chap.  1 : 16  and  2:  9,  15,  19. Perhaps  it  was  not.  It 

is  not  essential  that  we  should  vindicate  his  modesty.  Yet  the 
fact  of  his  superior  wisdom  was  so  prominent  and  so  universally 
admitted,  and  withal  being  somewhat  vital  to  his  argument  in  the 
present  case,  perhaps  his  offense  is  not  unpardonable.  Or  rather, 
perhaps  it  ought  not  to  bear  seriously  against  his  being  the  author 

of  this  book. The  various  allusions  to  oppressive  and  unjust 

rulers  and  to  egregious  misgovernments,  Prof.  S.  thinks  could  not 
have  come  from  Solomon  because  no  such  evils  were  then  present 
among  hia  people;  or  if  they  were  so,  he  could  and  should  have 
corrected  them  himself  at  once.  But  if  Solomon  wrote  for  readers 
in  other  countries,  this  objection  becomes  irrelevant.  There  was 
always  misgovernment  enough  existing  in  those  heathen  tribes  and 


214 


INTRODUCTION. 


nations.  Moreover,  it  is  not  altogether  clear  that  there  was  not 
some  ground  for  complaint  against  Solomon  himself  in  the  latter 
years  of  his  reign.  The  feeling  so  manifest  upon  the  accession  of 
his  son  plainly  indicates  a sense  of  oppression  among  his  own  peo- 
ple. It  is  certainly  supposable  that  this  sense  of  being  oppressed 

came  to  the  knowledge  of  Solomon  before  his  death. Again, 

Prof.  S.  pleads  that  what  is  said  (chap.  5:  1)  respecting  temple 
offerings  and  services  (“Keep  thy  foot  wrhen  thou  goest  to  the 
house  of  God,  and  be  more  read}7  to  hear  than  to  give  the  sacrifice 
of  fools”)  hardly  accords  with  the  views  given  respecting  the 
worship  at  the  temple  in  the  history  (1  K.  3:  3,  4,  15  and  8:  5, 
62-64,  etc).  To  which  it  is  pertinent  to  reply  that  precisely  such 
a development  of  splendor  and  attractiveness  in  the  externals  of 
the  temple-worship  would  draw  together  thousands  of  heartless 
men  who  would  need  the  very  caution  which  Solomon  here  gives 

them.  Has  it  not  always  been  so? Remarkably  Prof.  S.  urges 

that  the  “ passage  (7 : 26-28)  respecting  the  extreme  baseness  of 
women  seems  hardly  consonant  with  the  views  of  him  who  had 
seven  hundred  wives  and  three  hundred  concubines  (1  K.  11 : 1-8), 
and  who  was  devoted,  more  than  any  other  Jewish  king  known  tc 

us,  4o  amatory  enjoyments.” But  it  is  much  sounder  philosophy 

to  say  that  this  conclusion  is  precisely  what  should  be  expected 
from  such  abuse  of  the  marriage  relation.  How  could  Solomon 
know  any  thing  of  the  tenderness,  the  fidelity,  and  the  purity  of 
woman’s  character?  Writing  near  the  close  of  such  a connubial 
life,  what  other  or  better  testimony  from  his  experience  could  be 
expected?  In  view  of  Solomon’s  life,  this  passage  testifies  not  sc 
much  against  woman  as  against  the  ruin  of  all  the  nobler  elements 

of  womanhood  by  polygamy  and  concubinage. A few  other 

objections  founded  in  misinterpretation  are  best  reserved  for  notice 
when  the  passages  themselves  come  under  consideration. 

In  regard  to  this  question  of  authorship  it  has  seemed  to  me  both 
legitimate  and  right  that  my  mind  should  be  influenced  very  con- 
siderably in  the  outset  by  these  considerations ; viz. : that  the  book 
is  found  in  the  sacred  canon;  that  it  must  therefore  have  been 
accepted  by  the  original  compilers  of  the  canon  as  in  some  vital 
sense  inspired ; and  that  they  must  have  known  whether  the  author 
was  in  fact  Solomon  or  some  nameless  writer  who  set  up  a claim  to 
be  Solomon,  but  who  really  lived  in  their  own  age  and  under  their 
own  eye.  Now  I find  the  utmost  difficulty  in  bringing  my  mind  to 


INTRODUCTION. 


215 


believe  that  Ezra  and  his  associates,  or  as  some  suppose,  his  suc- 
cessors, placed  this  book  in  the  sacred  Hebrew  canon,  knowing 
that  it  was  not  written  by  Solomon  in  any  sense  or  in  any  part,  but 
was  really  written  in  their  own  times  by  some  man  who  tried  to 
personate  Solomon.  Those  who  at  a somewhat  later  day  had  the 
canon  in  charge  carefully  excluded  from  it  the  spurious  writings 
which  now  apppear  in  the  Apocrypha,  e.  g .,  those  attributed  to 
Ezra  [Esdras],  to  Daniel,  Baruch,  Jeremiah,  Solomon,  etc.  The 
spurious  character  of  these  writings  sufficed  to  exclude  them  from 
the  Hebrew  canon.  There  were  probably  other  reasons ; yet  who 
can  doubt  that  their  spuriousness  alone  would  suffice  to  rule  them 

out? The  same  principle  obtained  in  the  formation  of  the  New 

Testament  canon.  Spurious  books,  e.  g.,  letters  falsely  claiming  to 

have  been  written  by  Paul,  were,  of  course,  excluded, If 

Ecclesiastes  is  spurious,  it  stands  alone  in  this  respect  among  all 
the  books  of  both  the  old  Testament  and  the  New.  The  rule  of 
rejecting  spurious  writings,  i.  e .,  forgeries,  was  faithfully  observed 

in  every  case  but  this. This  principle  commends  itself  to  our 

sense  of  propriety  and  to  all  just  views  of  inspiration.  Of  all  men, 
he  who  is  inspired  of  God  should  be  expected  to  deal  honestly  and 
to  speak  truthfully.  It  outrages  our  convictions  of  God’s  eternal 
veracity  and  honesty  to  suppose  that  he  directly  inspired  some 
servant  of  his  in  the  age  of  Ezra  or  of  Malachi  to  personate  Solomon 
and  claim  to  be,  or  to  have  been,  a “ son  of  David  ” and  “ king  over 
Israel  in  Jerusalem.”  Nor  does  it  much  relieve  the  difficulty  to 
suppose  that  this  nameless  writer  himself  first  conceived  this  notion 
of  passing  himself  off  for  Solomon  and  built  his  book  upon  it,  and 
that  then  the  Lord  accepted  the  book  as  u profitable  for  doctrine, 
reproof,”  etc.,  and  consequently  directed  his  inspired  servants  to 
give  it  a place  in  the  sacred  canon.— — Let  us  now  for  a moment 
shift  our  stand-point  and  look  at  this  subject  from  another  side. 
Suppose  the  doctrine  held  by  so  many  modern  critics  to  be  true. 
Suppose  that  Solomon  never  wrote  this  book  nor  any  thing  of  the 
sort.  It  was  written  (let  it  be  supposed)  by  one  Pseudo,  who 

lived  in  the  age  of  Malachi. Then  we  have  no  proof  from  any 

authentic  record  that  Solomon  ever  became  heart-sick  of  his  pur- 
suit of  worldly  pleasure,  or  ever  saw  his  sin  in  this  matter,  or  ever 
came  in  his  latter  days  to  a deep  sense  of  the  duty  of  fearing  and 
obeying  God,  and  of  the  certainty  and  solemnity  of  the  final  judg- 
ment. All  this,  as  actual  knowledge,  testified  to  by  himself  or  by 
10 


216 


INTRODUCTION. 


any  reliable  record  of  his  own  times,  is  blotted  out,  and  is  not. 

How  did  Pseudo,  living  six  hundred  years  later,  get  this  knowl- 
edge ? He  has  not  told  us.  All  he  says  on  the  subject  is — “ I am 
Solomon  himself.’’  But  this  very  pretension  convicts  him  of  false- 
hood. How  then  can  we  believe  any  thing  else  he  has  to  say  ? 

Again,  if  Pseudo,  writing  for  a good  moral  end,  had  wished  to  ben- 
efit the  world  by  the  results  of  Solomon’s  experience,  why  did  he 
not  refer  to  Solomon’s  history  in  the  legitimate  way  which  all 
other  sacred  writers  have  adopted  ? Observe  how  Nehemiah  does 
it  (chap.  13 : 26).  Whole  chapters  of  sacred  writ  are  made  up 
in  this  way,  reciting  the  history  of  former  times  and  the  experi- 
ences of  historic  men,  for  the  moral  benefit  of  generations  then 

living  or  yet  to  live.  See  (e.  g.,)  Neh.  9 and  Ps.  78. Such  a 

method  is  honest  and  legitimate.  If  Pseudo  had  done  this  over 
his  own  name  and  in  the  manner  of  an  honest  writer,  we  could 
readily  accept  it  for  what  it  would  be  worth — so  much  tradition 
— hanging  by  a long  thread  indeed,  but,  perhaps,  having  some 

truth  at  the  farther  end. Can  we  approach  this  theory  of  the 

authorship  of  Ecclesiastes  with  any  other  feeling  than  that  of  a 
deep  and  just  repugnance  ? 

Taking  up  the  book  with  these  views,  I have  naturally  inquired 
whether  a careful  study  of  the  history  of  Solomon,  coupled  with 
an  equally  careful  study  of  this  book,  would  not  suggest  a satis- 
factory view  of  its  scope  and  purpose  and  thus  afford  a clue  to  its 
just  exposition,  in  full  harmony  with  the  theory  that  Solomon  was 
the  author.  [This  inquiry  belongs  to  our  second  topic  and  will  be 
prosecuted  there.] 

The  reader  will  judge  how  far  this  attempt  seems  to  be  sucess- 
ful.  If  successful,  he  will  readily  see  that  this  theory  must  al- 
most of  necessity  be  true.  If  it  harmonizes  with  both  the  external 
facts  of  the  book  and  with  its  internal  character;  if  it  gives  a 
book  from  Solomon  according  to  the  demands  of  the  text,  and  also 
gives  us  a purpose  and  an  argument  legitimate  for  Solomon  and 
every  way  befitting  his  circumstances  and  his  character,  then  it 
has  a claim  to  be  accepted  which  can  not  reasonably  be  set  aside. 
Hence  we  come  next  to  consider — 

II.  The  Theme  and  Special  Aim  of  the  Book — These  are 
points  of  vital  moment.  Fortunately  its  great  theme  is  propounded 
very  distinctly;  “Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  preacher;  all  is 


INTRODUCTION. 


217 


vanity.”  The  utter  vanity  of  all  earthly  things  when  sought  as 
the  chief  good  of  man,  stands  out  strongly  in  the  opening  sentence 
as  the  text  of  this  sermon:  it  re-appears  repeatedly  during  the 

discourse:  it  is  made  emphatic  in  the  conclusion  (12:  8). To 

prove  this  to  his  readers  and  to  impress  it  upon  their  mind  and 
heart,  he  adduces  his  own  exhaustive  experience ; he  also  draws 
largely  from  his  observation  of  other  men;  he  takes  up  in  detail 
numerous  forms  of  earthly  good  which  men  are  wont  to  seek,  his 
eye  sweeping  the  range  not  of  Israel  alone  but  of  the  “provinces” 
— those  other  tribes  and  countries  with  which  his  readers  and 
himself  were  familiar — all  converging  to  the  same  grand  conclu- 
sion. His  argumentation  is  not  tied  down  to  the  rules  of  modern 
logic.  His  strain  is  usually  discursive  and  not  closely  consecutive, 
so  that  it  is  often  difficult,  perhaps  sometimes  impossible,  to  trace 
with  certainty  any  logical  connection  between  his  successive  topics. 
Some  of  the  points  may  seem  to  have  at  best  only  a remote  bear- 
ing upon  his  main  theme.  Probably  if  we  understood  better  the 
type  of  mind  which  he  was  specially  addressing  and  the  circum- 
stances of  the  times  under  which  he  wrote,  what  seems  now  al- 
most irrelevant  might  appear  specially  pertinent  and  timely.  The 
state  of  the  author’s  own  mind  and  the  views  of  those  for  whom 
he  adapted  his  argument  need  to  be  known  somewhat  thoroughly 
in  order  to  see  the  pertinence,  beauty,  and  force  of  his  book. 
Hence  the  personal  history  of  Solomon  up  to  the  time  when  he 
wrote  this  book  should  be  carefully  studied  in  connection  with 
the  book  itself  as  the  legitimate  means  of  obtaining  the  clue  to 
his  special  aim  and  purpose  in  writing  it. 

The  early  life  of  Solomon  and  the  great  events  of  the  first  half 
of  his  reign  are  well  known.  There  is  no  occasion  therefore  to 
eulogize  his  wisdom,  or  to  descant  upon  the  radiant  promise  of 
piety,  usefulness  and  honor  with  which  his  royal  career  opened. 
We  all  know  how  assiduously  and  nobly  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  building  of  the  temple ; how  gorgeous  and  splendid  a structure 
he  reared;  with  what  august  ceremonials  and  with  what  beauti- 
ful appropriateness  he  ministered  to  its  solemn  dedication  to  the 
God  of  his  fathers.  We  remember  also  how  he  opened  a vigorous 
trade  with  Tyre,  with  Tarshish  and  doubtless  other  ports  on  the 
Western  Mediterranean;  with  Ophir  also,  and  with  ports  on  the 
Indian  Ocean ; and  moreover,  through  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness, 
with  the  mighty  East; — indeed  with  the  entire  commercial  world 


218 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  his  age. Now  it  is  obvious  that  these  commercial  relations 

involved  somewhat  intimate  political  relations  as  well.  The  his- 
tory indicates  such  relations  with  Tyre  and  with  Egypt.  It  can 
scarcely  be  doubted  that  these  political  relations  led  him  on  ac- 
cording to  the  usages  of  the  times  to  the  marrying  of  foreign  wives 

as  a means  of  cementing  political  alliances. Now  let  it  be 

noted;  these  three  facts  of  his  regal  life;  his  foreign  commerce; 
his  political  alliances ; and  his  heathen,  idolatrous  wives,  were  each 
and  all  in  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  Hebrew  Theocracy.  The  en- 
tire policy  of  God’s  administration  over  Israel  aimed  to  make  them 
as  a people  simply  agricultural  and  not  commercial.  The  prophets 
constantly  denounce  all  intimate  alliance  with  foreign  powers. 
(See  Isa.  30  and  31.)  The  law  explicitly  forbade  the  king  to  mul- 
tiply wives  to  himself,  lest  they  turn  away  his  heart.  (See  Deut. 
17 : 17  and  7 : 3,  4 and  Ex.  34:  16.)  These  three  great  sins  com- 
bined their  influence  to  weaken  the  moral  stamina  of  the  king  and 
to  ensnare  him  into  deeper  apostacy  from  God.  It  was  not  in  the 
nature  of  a wisdom  merely  human,  however  masterly,  to  withstand 
such  temptations.  Even  the  great  Solomon  fell  before  them.  The 
inspired  record  of  his  fall  is  brief  but  painfully  expressive. 

“ But  king  Solomon  loved  many  strange  women,  together  with  the 
daughter  of  Pharaoh,  women  of  the  Moabites,  Ammonites,  Edom- 
ites, Zidonians,  and  Hittites ; Of  the  nations  concerning  which  the 
Lord  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  Ye  shall  not  go  in  to  them, 
neither  shall  they  come  in  unto  you : for  surely  they  will  turn  away 
your  heart  after  their  gods : Solomon  clave  unto  these  in  love. 
And  he  had  seven  hundred  wives,  princesses,  and  three  hundred 
concubines:  and  his  wives  turned  away  his  heart.  For  it  came  to 
pass,  when  Solomon  was  old,  that  his  wives  turned  away  his  heart 
after  other  gods : and  his  heart  was  not  perfect  with  the  Lord  his 
God,  as  was  the  heart  of  David  his  father.  For  Solomon  went  after 
Ashtoreth,  the  goddess  of  the  Zidonians,  and  after  Milcom  the 
abomination  of  the  Ammonites.  And  Solomon  did  evil  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord,  and  went  not  fully  after  the  Lord,  as  did  David  his 
father.  Then  did  Solomon  build  a high  place  for  Chemosh,  the 
abomination  of  Moab,  in  the  hill  that  is  before  Jerusalem,  and  for 
Molech,  the  abomination  of  the  children  of  Ammon.  And  likewise 
did  he  for  all  his  strange  wives,  which  burnt  incense  and  sacrificed 
unto  their  gods.”  (1  K.  11  : 1-8). 

The  reader  will  note  the  main  points : that  Solomon  was  then 
old ; that  his  many  wives  and  concubines  were  from  the  adjacent 
heathen  nations;  that  Solomon  “loved  them” — “clave  to  them  in 
love;”  and  that  they  turned  away  his  heart  from  the  true  God  to 


INTRODUCTION. 


219 


the  gods  of  the  heathen. Add  to  this  the  yet  more  brief  allusion 

made  by  Nehemiah  (13:  26);  “Did  not  Solomon,  king  of  Israel, 
sin  by  these  things  [the  marriage  of  heathen  wives]  ? Yet  among 
many  nations  was  there  no  king  like  him  who  was  beloved  of  his 
God,  and  God  made  him  king  over  all  Israel;  nevertheless,  even 
him  did  outlandish  women  cause  to  sin.”  Alas,  that  so  great  a 
king  should  make  so  great  a fall ! These  latter  years  of  Solo- 

mon’s reign  lie  under  a dark  cloud.  Little  is  said  of  them  pertain- 
ing either  to  the  kingdom  or  the  king.  The  sacred  historian — or 
rather  shall  we  say  the  Divine  Spirit  who  guided  his  pen — was  too 
honest  to  ignore  the  painful  fact  of  the  king’s  fall ; yet  on  the  other 
hand  this  fact  and  its  consequences  to  the  social  and  religious  life 
of  the  nation  and  its  king  are  dismissed  with  few  words  as  an 
unwelcome  theme.  Some  things,  however,  may  be  inferred  safely 
from  the  inevitable  influence  of  such  apostacy,  and  are  confirmed 
moreover  by  the  developments  made  at  the  king’s  death  in  connec- 
tion with  the  accession  of  his  son.  Thus  it  was  inevitable  that  the 
king’s  apostasy  should  operate  disastrously  upon  public  morals  and 
piety.  There  was  an  appalling  change  from  Solomon  upon  his 
knees  before  the  assembled  people  offering  prayer  at  the  dedication 
of  the  temple,  to  the  same  Solomon  building  altars  and  shrines  to 
the  gods  of  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom,  and  Tyre.  It  was  disastrous 
that  this  same  great  king,  after  leading  the  pious  in  their  sacred 
worship  during  the  early  years  of  his  reign  should  in  his  later 
years  head  this  base  idolatry  which  he  had  himself  imported  with 
his  heathen  wives  and  concubines,  and  had  installed  in  the  high 
places  of  social  position  and  royal  favor.  The  influence  upon  the 
masses  of  the  people  must  have  been  exceedingly  pervading  and 
fearful  because  of  the  prestige  of  wisdom,  splendor,  and  dignity 
which  invested  the  throne.  When,  at  Solomon’s  death,  we  find 
that  Jeroboam’s  scheme  of  semi-idolatry  met  with  no  remonstrance 
from  the  masses  of  the  ten  tribes,  we  see  ample  reason  to  conclude 

that  the  tone  of  national  piety  had  greatly  declined. It  is  also 

obvious  that  when  Solomon  gave  his  heart  so  entirely  and  so  sin- 
fully to  his  strange  wives  and  to  the  numerous  foreigners  who 
must  have  filled  his  court,  he  withdrew  his  heart  from  his  people, 
and  consequently  lost,  in  great  measure,  their  profound  esteem  and 
love.  For,  if  he  had  retained  their  love  till  his  death,  the  power 
of  his  name  would  have  seated  his  son  immovably  upon  the 
father’s  throne.  But  it  is  quite  apparent  that  the  revolution  met 


220 


INTRODUCTION. 


with  no  special  resistance  from  any  cherished  remembrance  of 
their  late  sovereign.  On  the  contrary,  it  appears  that  they  had 
been  galled  by  his  severe  exactions  of  tribute,  and  that  this  was 
practically  the  one  thing  which  remained  impressed  on  their  minds 
and  holding  over  after  that  once  honored  head  was  laid  in  the 
dust.  We  must,  therefore,  conclude  that  the  love  and  respect  of 
his  people  which  Solomon  unquestionably  enjoyed  during  the  early 
years  of  his  reign  had  signally  disappeared  before  his  death.  The 
loss  of  it  will  no  doubt  account  in  part  for  his  personal  restiveness 
and  wretchedness  in  the  midst  of  unparalleled  external  splendor. 
It  helped  to  intensify  his  sense  of  the  utter  vanity  of  human  thrones 
— filled  unworthily.  In  his  mind  it  must  have  given  a thrilling 
significance  to  the  words  of  his  text:  “Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the 
Preacher;  all  is  vanity.” 

We  shall  fail  to  reach  the  fountain-sin  of  Solomon’s  later  and 
apostate  life  if  we  stop  with  idolatry  and  overlook  that  love  of  the 
world  which  in  all  ages  “ worketh  death.”  The  heart  of  Solomon 
became  a pleasure-loving  heart;  his  life  a pleasure-seeking  life. 
He  sought  pleasure  in  wealth  and  splendor ; he  sought  it  in  fame 
and  honor;  he  sought  it  in  all  forms  of  sensual  enjoyment.  The 
immense  resources  at  his  command  were  lavishly  expended  upon 
this  one  object.  Such  pleasure-seeking  swept  him  away  from  the 
fear  and  service  of  God.  It  was  to  him,  we  may  fairly  assume, 
“the  root  of  all  evil.”  It  led  him  on  to  those  associations  which 
ensnared  him  into  idolatry. A gracious  providence  spared  Solo- 

mon to  live  till  he  became  convicted,  even  if  not  radically  peni- 
tent. After  so  much  guilty  wandering,  he  “ came  to  himself  and 
thought  on  his  ways.”  It  can  not  be  said  on  authority  that  he 
ever  saw  clearly  the  guilt  of  his  idolatry,  but  it  is  plain  that  he 
saw  the  folly  of  his  pleasure-loving  life  and  felt  the  solemn  obli- 
gation resting  on  all  rational  beings  11  to  fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments”  as  their  supreme  duty.  Having  reached  these 
convictions,  it  was  inevitable  that  he  should  feel  the  importance 
of  undoing,  so  far  as  he  might  be  able,  the  mischiefs  he  had  done. 
For  this  purpose  he  became  “the  Preacher,”  and  wrote  this  book. 

Here  we  meet  a question,  vital  to  the  legitimate  interpretation 
of  the  book,  viz.,  For  whom , definitely , was  it  prepared ? What 
class  of  people  were  specially  in  his  mind;  for  whom  consequently 
both  the  style  of  language  and  the  course  of  thought  would  be 
carefully  adapted  ? 1 answer,  Those  who  had  been  most  directly 


INTRODUCTION. 


221 


under  hi3  influence  and  with  whom  in  the  most  sinning  years  of 
his  life  he  had  been  intimately  associated.  These  were — (1.)  His 
wives  and  concubines,  and  their  family  connections  and  special 
friends;  and  (2.)  His  political  allies  and  admirers  in  foreign 
courts;  and  (3.)  His  commercial  acquaintances  to  whom  his  ex- 
tensive foreign  trade  had  introduced  him;  (4.)  Those  also  who 
like  the  Queen  of  Sheba  had  been  attracted  to  him  by  his  fame 

for  wisdom. In  close  intimacy  with  all  these  classes  he  had 

sinned.  Before  them  it  was  altogether  appropriate  that  he  should 
bear  this  testimony  of  confession  and  of  solemn  truth  for  their 
admonition.  He  could  not  but  know  that  they  (like  the  Queen 
of  Sheba)  had  looked  upon  him  as  a paragon  of  success  in  the 
pursuit  of  worldly  happiness.  His  brilliant  reign,  his  immense 
wealth,  his  unprecedented  splendor,  his  almost  unlimited  provision 
of  those  most  coveted  appliances  for  the  gratification  of  every 
taste  and  every  sense  conspired  to  make  him  the  great  Observed 
Man  of  the  age.  His  personal  influence  upon  the  hearts  of  the 

aspirants  for  worldly  pleasure  must  have  been  unbounded. 

Hence  when  he  came  to  see  the  grand  mistake  and  sin  of  his 
heart  and  of  his  life,  and  came  also  to  see  how  pernicious  his  in- 
fluence had  been  especially  upon  these  classes,  how  could  he  do 
less  than  precisely  what  he  has  done  in  this  book  ? That  he 
should  write  especially  for  these  classes  is  so  appropriate  in  itself — 
is  so  legitimate  as  one  of  the  fruits  of  a convicted  heart — that  we 
naturally  assume  and  expect  it.  We  do  not  see  how  he  could 

fail  to  do  it,  or  could  be  willing  to  die  till  he  had  done  it. 

Why  he  is  silent  in  reference  to  the  sin  of  idolatry,  it  may  not 
be  possible  to  say  absolutely.  It  may  be  that  his  convictions  of 
guilt  in  that  respect  were  less  deep  and  truthful  than  we  should 
naturally  expect  in  a penitent  man.  This  view  is  favored  by  the 
fact  that  in  his  best  days,  he  “sacrificed  and  burnt  incense  in 
high  places.’’  (See  1 Kings  3:  3,  4.)  Or  it  may  be  that  he  ac- 
counted his  pleasure-loving  spirit  and  life  his  chief  sin — the  foun- 
tain of  all  his  other  sins — and  therefore  restricted  his  book  to  this. 
Or  we  may  class  this  omission  under  the  general  fact  that  prior 
to  the  apostolic  age  aggressive  assaults  upon  foreign  idolatry  were 
never  made  and  seem  not  to  have  been  regarded  as  within  the  scope 
of  religious  work.  Or  perhaps  in  view  of  all  the  circumstances 
of  his  life,  he  was  led  of  God  to  regard  this  discussion  of  man’s 
chief  good  as  his  special  work,  to  which  he  was  preeminently 


222 


INTRODUCTION. 


fitted  and  to  which  therefore  God  definitely  called  him — leaving 
to  others  what  others  could  do  as  well  or  better  than  he.  Upon 
this  point  no  light  of  revelation  has  fallen.  I must  therefore  leave 

it  with  only  these  brief  conjectural  hints. The  hypothesis  that 

Solomon  wrote  somewhat  specifically  for  those  with  and  before 
whom  he  had  especially  sinned,  seems  to  me  to  be  a legitimate 
dictate  of  common  sense.  Given,  the  wise  but  sensual  and  sin- 
ning Solomon,  now  impressed  with  a sense  of  his  sin  and  folly, 
and  of  his  consequent  duty  to  obviate  the  mischiefs  thereof — and 
we  have  as  a result,  this  book , written  for  those  who  had  most 
emulated  his  pernicious  example. 

Now  in  the  light  of  this  hypothesis,  two  prominent  features  of 
this  book — the  same  which  have  been  the  main  ground  of  objec- 
tion to  Solomon  as  the  author — receive  a satisfactory  elucidation  ; 
viz.,  the  dialect  in  which  the  book  is  written,  and  the  somewhat 
frequent  allusions  to  misgovernment  and  civil  oppression.  This 
oppression  may  have  been  chiefly  outside  of  his  own  kingdom, 
and  precisely  under  the  direct  observation  of  many  of  his  readers. 

There  was  enough  of  it  there. His  dialect  manifestly  came 

from  the  outlying  countries  and  was  intended  to  go  back  to  them 
again. 1 shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  both  these  points  some- 
what in  detail  in  another  place. Moreover,  this  hypothesis  in 

regard  to  the  special  design  of  the  book  accounts  for  the  fact 
that  its  argument  addresses  mainly  a class  of  readers  moving  in 
the  higher  strata  of  society — the  rich  and  well-conditioned  who 
have  high  aspirations  for  worldly  pleasure  and  large  means  for 
its  pursuit.  The  author  does  indeed  allude  to  the  toiling  and 
down-trodden  millions ; but  the  main  drift  of  his  argument  adapts 
itself  rather  to  men  who  are  seeking  great  fortunes  or  who  have 

already  gained  them. And  further,  if  we  accept  the  hypothesis 

that  a considerable  portion  of  those  for  whom  he  specially  wrote 
were  foreign  merchants  or  men  of  foreign  courts,  we  get  some 
relief  from  these  difficulties  otherwise  felt;  viz.,  Why  is  the  moral 
tone  of  many  of  his  precepts  so  low?  And  why  this  utter  ab- 
sence of  allusion  to  the  national  history  of  the  Hebrew  people  in 
illustration  of  God’s  moral  and  providential  government  over 

men  ? These  and  kindred  points  have  seemed  to  me  to  constitute 

the  most  stubborn  difficulties  of  the  book.  They  are  certainly  re- 
lieved very  considerably  if  we  may  assume  that  Solomon  wrote  it 
especially  for  those  whose  training  had  been  under  the  darkness 


INTRODUCTION. 


223 


of  tlie-  outlying  lands,  and  that  therefore  he  let  himself  down  to 
their  intellectual  and  moral  state.  Thus  Paul,  before  Jewish 
audiences,  “reasoned  out  of  their  own  Scriptures  from  morning 
till  evening  ” (Acts  28 : 23),  but  before  the  men  of  Athens,  only 
from  the  great  book  of  nature  and  from  the  testimony  of  the 
human  conscience,  with  the  addition  perhaps  of  their  own  poets 
and  altar  inscriptions  (Acts  IT : 22-34).  So  Solomon  had  for  the 
basis  of  his  argument  the  universal  conception  of  some  great 
God;  the  moral  convictions  as  to  right  and  wrong  of  all  human 
souls;  and  a wide  range  of  personal  experience  and  observation, 
coupled  with  the  analogous  though  more  limited  experience  and 
observation  of  his  readers.  From  those  sources  he  drew  his  staple 

arguments ; upon  their  basis  he  rests  his  appeals. A higher 

plane,  intellectually  and  morally,  was  even  in  that  age  held  by 
the  men  of  favored  Israel — the  land  where  God  had  long  dwelt 
and  had  recorded  his  name;  but  Solomon  seems  not  to  assume 
that  his  readers  are  in  that  higher  plane,  nor  does  he  propose  at 
once  to  raise  them  up  to  it.  Does  not  this  view  of  the  case  ac- 
count for  the  lack  of  a higher  moral  tone  in  this  book ; for  the 
fact  of  only  the  slightest  allusion  to  religious  worship  and  institu- 
tions, and  no  allusion  whatever  to  Hebrew  history  or  a written 
revelation?  Have  we  not  a good  reason  for  the  fact  that  this  is 
a treatise  on  natural  and  not  revealed  religion? This  argu- 

ment places  his  thousand  wives  and  their  associates,  who  were 
mostly  of  heathen  origin  and  education,  in  the  same  class  essen- 
tially with  the  princes  and  merchants  of  the  same  foreign  lands. 
Coming  into  Israel  to  reside,  they  did  not  come  to  adopt  and  en- 
joy the  religion  of  Israel,  but  brought  their  own,  and  therefore, 

intellectually  and  morally,  remained  unchanged. It  may  not 

be  amiss  to  suggest  here  that  a theory  of  the  book  which  meets 
all  its  difficult  points  so  readily  and  naturally,  and  which  cor- 
responds so  completely  with  the  known  and  supposable  features 
of  Solomon  s reign  and  character — with  his  connubial,  commercial 
and  political  relations — presents  strong  claims  to  be  accepted  as  true. 

III.  The  Style  or  Dialect  of  the  Book. — This  is  quite  pe- 
culiar. There  is  no  extant  Hebrew  of  the  same  character.  Indeed 
there  is  none  which  very  closely  resembles  it.  The  writers  after 
the  exile  present  more  of  its  peculiarities  than  any  other  books 
extant;  yet  even  their  dialect  is  quite  unlike  this.  The  resem- 


224 


INTRODUCTION. 


blances,  such  as  they  are,  have  been  the  staple  argument  with  many 
learned  critics  in  their  attempt  to  prove  that  Solomon  could  not  have 
written  this  book,  and  that  some  unknown  author,  living  between 
Ezra  and  the  Maccabees — i.  e.,  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  years  after 
the  restoration  from  Babylon — must  have  produced  it. The  spe- 

cial features  of  this  dialect  can  not  be  presented  profitably  before 
the  merely  English  reader.  Nor  is  it  at  all  necessary.  I have  no 
controversy  with  the  critics  here  referred  to  in  regard  to  the  fa^t 
of  a diversity  of  style  between  this  book  and  the  book  of  Proverbs, 
for  example,  or  the  Psalms  of  David.  But  I account  for  this  di- 
versity upon  an  entirely  different  hypothesis.  They  say  it  belongs 
to  a later  age.  I maintain  that  it  belongs  not  to  a later  age  but  to 
another  'people.  As  already  said  and  shown,  the  latter  years  of 
Solomon’s  life  brought  him  into  the  closest  relationship  with  for- 
eigners, people  of  outlying  lands — Tyre,  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom, 
Arabia.  They  constituted  his  family,  his  court,  and  hence  his 
most  intimate  associates  at  home;  they  were  in  closest  corre- 
spondence with  him  abroad.  Add  to  this  his  knowledge  of  adjacent 
dialects  gained  by  foreign  travel;  for  Solomon  “went”  to  Hamath- 
zobah;  “went”  to  Ezion-geber;  and  probably  located  and  built 
Tadmor  after  personal  inspection.  (See  2 Chron.  8:  3,  4,  17). 
It  follows  inevitably  that  he  would  become  familiar  with  their  di- 
alect. It  does  not  follow  that  he  lost  his  vernacular  dialect,  but 
only  that  he  became  familiar  with  the  dialect  of  the  “ outlandish 
women”  (Neh.  13:  26)  who  drew  him  into  sin,  and  of  the  out- 
landish princes  and  men  of  trade  with  whom  he  was  in  constant 

and  somewhat  intimate  association. -This  being  admitted,  we 

may  advance  another  step.  Having  become  familiar  with  this 
dialect,  and  having  occasion  to  write  specially  for  this  class  of 
people,  Solomon  used  it.  Why  should  not  he  ? No  reason  can  be 
given  why  he  should  not;  there  is  every  reason  why  he  should. 

But  it  will  be  asked,  What  is  the  proof  that  this  dialect  of 

the  outlying  countries  in  Solomon’s  time  corresponds  with  that  of 

Ecclesiastes? 1.  It  is  held  by  all  learned  critics,  and  is  indeed 

altogethed  undeniable,  that  the  Hebrew,  or  some  dialect  of  it,  was 
the  language  of  all  those  countries  of  Southwestern  Asia,  includ- 
ing the  original  Canaanites,  Philistines,  Phenicians  ( i e .,  the  peo- 
ple of  Tyre  and  Sidon),  Syria,  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom,  Arabia,  and 

even  Chaldea. 2.  While  the  spoken  dialect  changed  scarcely 

at  all  with  the  lapse  of  time  among  the  same  people,  there  were 


INTRODUCTION. 


225 


jet  provincialisms  in  different  localities,  and  some  variety  in  the 
dialects  spoken  by  different  tribes  and  nations;  Of  these  provin- 
cialisms, we  have  traces  in  the  history  of  Jephthah  (Judges  12:  5, 
6),  as  between  the  men  of  Ephraim  and  the  men  of  Gilead  on  the 

east  of  Jordan.  The  test  word  “Shibboleth”  revealed  it. 

Diversity  of  dialect  appears  in  Neh.  13:  23,  24.  “I  saw  Jews  who 
had  married  wives  of  Ashdod,  of  Ammon,  and  of  Moab,  and  their 
children  spake  half  in  the  speech  of  Ashdod,  and  could  not  speak 
in  the  Jews’  language,  but  according  to  the  language  of  each  peo- 
ple.” It  will  be  noticed  that  Solomon’s  wives  came  in  part  from 

these  identical  countries. Again,  as  between  the  “Syrian”  and 

the  common  Hebrew  of  Palestine,  a difference  of  dialect  appears 
in  Isa.  36;  11,  when  the  officers  of  Hezekiah  say  to  Rabshakeh, 
“Speak,  I pray  thee,  unto  thy  servants  in  the  Syrian  language, 
for  we  understand  it:  and  speak  not  to  us  in  the  Jews’  language, 
in  the  ears  of  the  people  that  are  upon  the  wall.”  This  language, 
called  “ Syrian,”  was  that  of  Assyria,  yet  not  very  widely  diverse 
from  that  of  the  Jews.  It  would  seem  that  the  higher  classes, 
especially  those  of  the  court,  understood  it,  but  that  the  lower 

classes  did  not. The  Chaldee  proper,  the  language  of  Babylon 

at  the  time  of  the  exile,  was  yet  farther  removed  from  the  Hebrew 
of  Palestine,  but  was  of  the  same  family  or  group  of  languages. 
The  countries  lying  nearer  to  Canaan,  e.  g .,  Edom,  Moab,  Am- 
mon, Tyre,  and  Syria,  had  dialects  that  were  much  less  remote 
from  the  Hebrew  of  Israel  than  the  Chaldean  was. 3.  Fortu- 

nately, we  are  able  to  advance  yet  further,  and  adduce  evidence 
little  short  of  demonstration  to  the  point  now  in  question.  It 
happens  that  some  remains  of  the  ancient  Phenician  language 
(that  of  Tyre  and  Sidon),  have  come  down  to  our  times.  By  an- 
cient here  I mean  as  old  as  the  age  of  Solomon.  Gesenius  has 
published  a work  entitled  “ Monuments  of  the  Phenician  Lan- 
guage,” in  which  he  says  (as  quoted  by  Stuart  on  Ecclesiastes,  p. 
80),  “ The  Phenician  remains  are  more  kindred  to  the  later  than 
to  the  earlier  Hebrew,  e.  g .,  the  relative  “ashr”  is  abbreviated 
and  only  the  middle  consonant  is  fully  written — an  important  cir- 
cumstance for  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  language.” This  pe- 

culiar use  of  the  relative  is  one  of  the  most  palpable  features  in 
the  special  dialect  of  Ecclesiastes.  Yet  Gesenius  affirms  that  pre- 
cisely this  usage  of  it  is  universal  in  the  dialect  of  Tyre  in  the 
age  of  Solomon.  And  in  general  the  dialect  of  Tyre  in  that  age 


226 


INTRODUCTION. 


is  more  kindred  to  the  Hebrew  of  Ezra  and  Malachi  than  to  the 
Hebrew  of  David.  In  other  words,  by  going  over  the  geograph- 
ical boundaries  of  Israel  in  the  age  of  Solomon,  you  find  very 
nearly  the  same  dialect  which  you  reach  by  coming  down  five 
hundred  years  in  Judah  to  the  age  of  Ezra  and  Malachi.  So  that 
there  is  not  the  least  necessity,  nor  even  occasion  to  come  down  to 
the  time  of  Malachi  to  find  a man  who  could  or  who  naturally  would 
write  in  the  dialect  of  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes.  You  have  him 
provided  in  Solomon  himself,  made  familiar  with  the  then  current 
dialect  of  Phenicia,  and  writing  for  the  special  use  of  his  foreign 
wives  and  his  numerous  foreign  associates,  friends,  and  admirers. 
At  the  same  time,  let  it  be  observed,  this  dialect  would  not  be  so 
diverse  from  the  Hebrew  of  Palestine  as  to  be  unintelligible  to 

the  Israelites. It  deserves  yet  more  special  notice  that  you  do 

not  find  precisely,  or  even  nearly  the  dialect  of  Ecclesiastes  in  the 
writings  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Malachi.  While  Ecclesiastes 
has  some  peculiarities  that  are  like  theirs,  it  has  more  that  are 
unlike.  These  peculiarities  pertain  not  mainly  to  grammatical 
forms,  but  to  the  use  of  new  words;  of  old  words  in  somewhat  new 
senses,  and  of  new  derivatives  from  old  roots.  Some  of  these  pe- 
culiarities— we  can  not  perhaps  say  just  how  many — may  be  due 
to  difference  of  subject.  We  have  no  other  philosophical  essay 

but  this  in  any  extant  Hebrew. Again,  Ecclesiastes  differs  yet 

more  widely  from  the  real  Chaldean  tongue.  Here  grammatical 
forms  as  well  as  new  words  present  strong  points  of  diversity. 
Hence  it  is  worse  than  vain  to  search  for  an  author  for  Ecclesiastes 
in  some  geographical  location  nearer  to  Chaldea,  or  in  the  age  of 
greater  Chaldean  influence  over  the  spoken  Hebrew  of  Palestine. 

In  fine,  this  argument  might  probably  be  made  conclusive  if 

we  had  before  us  sufficient  specimens  of  the  Hebrew  dialect  then  in 
use  in  Tyre,  Edom,  Moab,  and  Arabia.  It  is  very  much  to  our  pur- 
pose that  all  those  remains  which  are  still  extant  give  their  whole 

strength  to  sustain  the  theory  here  assumed. Yet  another  and 

distinct  argument  may  be  drawn  from  the  choice  of  a Hebrew 
name  for  God.  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  names  being 
all  significant,  Elohim  looks  specially  to  the  natural  attributes  of 
God ; Jehovah , to  his  moral  attributes.  Elohim  is  God  thought  of 
as  Almighty,  the  Lord  of  nature,  the  Great  God  who  is  infinitely 
above  all  the  false  gods  of  the  heathen;  but  Jehovah  is  the  God 
of  the  promises,  forever  the  same,  forever  faithful  and  true,  forever 


INTRODUCTION. 


227 


more  the  God  of  his  covenant  people.  With  this  distinction  in 
mind,  let  us  consider  the  fact  that  in  the  book  of  Proverbs  the 
name  Elohim  occurs  but  five  times;  the  name  Jehovah  about 
ninety  times,  showing  that  when  writing  for  his  own  people, 
Solomon  naturally  used  the  latter  name.  But  in  the  book  of 
Ecclesiastes,  the  name  Elohim  appears  thirty-nine  times ; the  name 
Jehovah,  not  once.  The  people  of  the  outlying  lands  knew  not 
this  sacred  name.  To  them  its  special  significance  as  a God  of 
promise — a God  of  covenant — was  utterly  unknown.  Hence  the 
fact  that  Solomon,  writing  specially  for  their  reading,  never  uses 
this  name. 

Yet  further,  the  facts  concerning  the  use  of  these  names  of  God 
are  in  point  to  explode  the  favorite  Neological  theory  of  the  date 
and  author  of  this  book,  viz. : that  it  was  written  after  the  resto- 
ration from  Babylon,  to  comfort  the  Hebrew  people  under  their 
national  affliction.  But  let  Ecclesiastes  be  compared,  in  respect 
to  its  use  of  the  names  of  God,  with  the  known  writings  of  that 
age.  In  the  Psalms  of  that  period  (mostly  91-150),  the  name 
Jehovah  occurs  almost  exclusively.  In  the  three  prophets  of  the 
restoration,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  Elohim  occurs  in  its 
absolute  form  five  times ; Jehovah  no  less  than  two  hundred  and 
fourteen  times.  Yet  Ecclesiastes,  claimed  by  the  Neologists  to 
bear  the  same  date  and  to  have  the  same  general  purpose,  gives 
the  name  Jehovah  not  even  once  ! 

IY.  The  Alleged  Skepticism  of  the  Author. — The  points  in 
regard  to  which  skepticism  may  be  charged  with  some  plausibility 
are  not  the  existence  of  God ; not  his  attributes  (abstractly  viewed) 
of  goodness  and  justice;  but  the  doctrine  of  a future  life  and  of  God’s 

righteous  moral  government  over  men. In  the  outset  there 

arises  a preliminary  question  somewhat  vital  to  the  result;  viz., 
Whether  we  shall  assume  the  author’s  self-consistency,  and  con- 
sequently whether  we  shall  carry  his  strong  declarations  of  ortho- 
dox sentiments  in  certain  passages,  to  the  interpretation  of  those 

which  have  the  aspect  more  or  less  of  skepticism. If  we  do 

assume  the  author  to  be  throughout  self-consistent,  we  shall  con- 
strue his  whole  book  in  a way  which  will  involve  no  skepticism 
whatever.  On  the  other  hand  if  it  seems  admissible  to  assume 
that  the  author  is  not  altogether  self-consistent,  but  intends  to 
give  the  reader  his  shifting,  changeful  moods  of  thought  as  thej 


228 


INTRODUCTION. 


occurred,  both  in  his  days  of  apostasy,  and  subsequently  in  his 
seasons  of  sober  and  more  just  thought,  then  another  construction 
might  be  given  to  his  language  and  we  might  find  skeptical  views, 
obviously  as  the  fruit  of  a pleasure-loving  heart  and  life,  but  dis- 
appearing with  his  return  to  a better  moral  state. At  this  stage 

of  our  investigation  it  is  not  important  to  affirm  absolutely  yea  or 
nay,  on  this  preliminary  question.  .When  the  special  passages  come 
under  consideration,  I shall  endeavor  to  show  what  their  sense  seems 
to  be  and  how  their  interpretation  may  be  modified  in  accordance 

with  either  of  these  alternatives. Extreme  views  have  been 

held  on  this  point,  on  the  one  hand  by  those  who  make  the  author 
more  a skeptic  than  he  makes  himself;  and  on  the  other,  by  those 
who  in  their  zeal  to  acquit  him  of  all  suspicion  of  skepticism, 
insist  that  he  introduces  a skeptical  objector  to  say  the  words 
in  dispute,  and  then  answers  these  objections  himself.  The  for- 
mer class  seem  to  me  to  violate  the  rule  of  charity  which  requires 
that  of  two  admissible  constructions,  of  claims  otherwise  equal, 
the  most  orthodox  should  be  preferred  if  the  speaker  be  a pro- 
fessedly good  man.  Also,  some  have  erred  by  construing  as  gen- 
eral or  universal  statements  what  the  author  intended  to  say  with 
only  a specific  and  limited  application.  Thus  by  misinterpretation 
the  author  has  been  subjected  to  the  charge  of  more  skepticism 
than  he  is  guilty  of.— — On  the  other  hand  it  avails  nothing  to  try 
to  exonerate  him  by  the  groundless  assumption  that  the  words  in 
question  are  not  his  own  but  those  of  an  ideal  or  supposed  objector. 
Thus  Prof.  Stuart,  who  holds  this  view,  claims  to  find  analogous 
cases  to  this  in  Paul’s  Epistles  where  (e.  g .,  Rom.  3:  8 and  1 Cor. 
15 : 35)  he  says,  11  Let  us  do  evil  that  good  may  come and,  “ How 
are  the  dead  raised  up  ? and  with  what  body  do  they  come  ? ” Also 

in  the  case  of  Job’s  three  friends  and  in  Ps.  73. But  the  reader 

will  notice  that  these  cases  differ  from  the  case  of  the  author  of 
Ecclesiastes  in  precisely  the  vital  point.  Paul  is  always  careful  to 
draw  the  line  unmistakably  between  what  is  said  by  the  objector 
and  what  is  said  by  himself.  He  never  leaves  you  in  doubt  for 
a moment  whether  he  is  saying  these  skeptical  words  as  his  own 
sentiments.  So  also  the  words  of  Job’s  three  friends  rest  on  their 
responsibility  alone.  Neither  Job  nor  the  Almighty  endorse  them ; 
but  both  disown  them.  There  is  no  room  for  the  mistake  that 
their  doctrine  stands  in  the  Bible  with  the  authority  of  inspira- 
tion. So  the  writer  of  Ps.  73  records  certain  sentiments  which 


INTRODUCTION. 


229 


he  once  entertained ; but  he  tells  us  that  when  he  came  into  the 
sanctuary  of  God  he  saw  them  to  be  all  wrong  and  then  he  ex- 
claims against  himself : “ So  foolish  was  I and  ignorant ; I was  as 
a beast  before  thee  !”  And  now  he  rejects  those  views  of  his  for- 
mer “foolish”  and  “ignorant”  self  with  strong  reprobation! 

But  the  author  of  Ecclesiastes  gives  us  no  hint  whatever  of  an 
objector  other  than  himself,  nor  does  he  hint  that  his  own  views 
have  changed  from  what  they  were.  He  makes  no  confession  of 
previous  skeptical  views  or  darkness  of  mind  from  which  he  subse- 
quently emerges.  He  talks  right  on  as  if  quite  unconscious  of 
saying  in  one  passage  what  he  gainsays  in  another. These  con- 

siderations should  have  force  in  favor  of  such  a construction  of 
his  words  as  will  not  involve  real  skepticism.  For  in  the  end  (as 
all  admit)  he  comes  out  with  true  and  staunch  faith  in  both  the 

future  life  and  the  just  moral  government  of  God. Yet  it  is 

still  supposable  [and  therefore  worth  considering]  that  the  author 
of  the  book  may  intend  to  give  the  changeful  hues  of  his  own 
thoughts  as  he  passed  along  through  his  backsliding,  skeptical  life, 
perhaps  more  than  willing  that  the  world  should  see  in  his  case 
that  a pleasure-loving  life  by  a natural  law  of  mind  begets  skepti- 
cism— first  leading  men  to  hate  the  light  because  their  deeds  are 
evil  and  because  this  light  exposes  them  very  uncomfortably;  and 
then,  for  the  sake  of  a more  quiet  conscience,  to  put  darkness  for 
light  and  light  for  darkness;  i.  e.,  to  subvert  these  irritating  moral 
realities  and  believe  error  to  be  truth  and  truth  to  be  error.  There 
is  no  law  of  mind  more  important  to  be  understood  than  this,  that 
persistent  sinning  in  the  face  of  perceived  and  admitted  truth  is  a 
perpetual  annoyance  to  a man’s  sense  of  self-respect,  and  therefore 
tempts  him  strongly  to  repel  and  pervert  the  truth  which  gives  him 
this  trouble.  Thus  it  is  that  error,  affording  some  relief  to  a con- 
sciously guilty  mind,  is  made  welcome.  What  a man  so  wishes  to 
believe  he  accepts  almost  unconsciously,  and  often  in  the  face  of 

very  clear  convictions  of  both  its  falsehood  and  its  folly. The 

acute  micd  of  Solomon  must  have  been  fully  aware  of  this  law  of 
depraved  human  nature,  and  therefore,  as  already  suggested,  he 
may  have  been  quite  willing  that  his  own  example  should  stand  as 
a moral  warning  against  such  abuse  of  reason  and  conscience. 
Such  a construction  of  Solomon’s  words  is  therefore  admissible  in 
view  of  the  laws  of  mind.  The  question  whether  it  be  the  true 
construction  is  one  of  interpretation,  to  be  determined  therefore 


230 


INTRODUCTION. 


by  its  laws.  We  must  consider  this  when  the  passages  come 
before  us. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  suggest  here  that  in  my  view  the  points 
in  the  book  which  savor  most  strongly  of  skepticism  appear,  not  in 
the  form  of  distinctly  expressed  doubts  as  to  the  future  life,  or  the 
moral  government  of  God ; much  less  in  the  form  of  direct  denial 
of  those  truths ; but  rather  in  the  low  moral  tone  of  the  inferences 
which  he  seems  to  draw  from  certain  great  truths  (e.  g .,  the  fact 
of  universal  mortality)  which  should  stimulate  high  moral  pur- 
poses. But  this  feature  of  the  book  will  come  up  for  consider- 
ation somewhat  in  the  next  general  head,  and  yet  more  in  my 
notes  on  the  passages  themselves. 

Y.  The  Author’s  Alleged  Epicureanism  in  Commending 
“Mirth”  and  Present  Enjoyment. — The  term  epicurean  is  con- 
venient and  current  to  denote  a supreme  regard  for  present  sen- 
sual pleasure.  Its  spirit  is — let  us  get  all  we  can  of  such  pleasure 

at  any  cost  or  any  consequences. Do  the  words  of  Solomon 

in  this  book,  legitimately  interpreted,  breathe  this  spirit  and  incul- 
cate this  course  of  life  ? 

In  the  first  place  if  we  may  assume  that  he  wrote  as  a sensible 
and  self-consistent  man,  and  if  his  words  will  at  all  bear  a self-con- 
sistent construction,  we  must  construe  them  as  being  against , and 
not  in  favor  of,  epicureanism.  For,  what  is  the  great  doctrine  of 
his  book  ? What  but  this, — that  worldy  pleasure,  sought  as  man’s 
chief  good,  is  utter  vanity?  That  is  to  say,  the  substance  and 
soul  of  the  book  asserts  and  re-asserts  that  the  epicurean/ life  is 
an  utter  failure.  Hence  nothing  can  be  more  palpably  self-con- 
tradictory than  for  this  book  to  commend  the  epicurean  spirit  and 
life  as  the  best  thing  possible  for  man.  It  is  as  if  Solomon  should 
begin — “My  epicurean  friends,  I have  two  things  to  say : first,  your 
whole  life  and  labor  are  utter  vanity:  secondly,  go  on  and  prosper  : 
make  the  most  of  it;  for  I know  of  nothing  better.” This  con- 

struction of  the  book  is  a priori  violently  improbable — to  be  re- 
jected therefore  if  any  other  can  be  found  less  revolting,  less 
absurd  and  less  glaringly  inconsistent  with  the  great  doctrine  of  the 
book. 

The  better  construction  is  at  hand.  It  is  in  itself  not  unphil- 
osophical ; and  moreover  derives  support  from  the  view  above  taken 
of  the  special  aim  of  the  book  as  seen  in  the  light  of  the  class 


INTRODUCTION. 


231 


particularly  addressed. Solomon  wrote  for  pleasure-loving  and 

pleasure-seeking  men.  He  is  no  ascetic  himself;  he  does  not  be- 
lieve in  decrying  the  moderate  pleasures  which  God  provides  for 
us  in  our  daily  food  and  nightly  rest : and  he  knows  that  if  he 
were  to  push  the  doctrine  of  the  vanity  of  this  world  to  this  ex- 
treme, his  words  would  only  recoil  upon  himself  and  would  utterly 
frustrate  his  great  purpose.  Therefore  he  sees  the  necessity  of 
discriminating  sharply  between  loving  the  world  supremely  and 
loving  its  legitimate  Comforts  very  moderately  ; between  grasping 
it  in  a spirit  that  is  reckless  of  God,  and  accepting  certain  forms 
of  its  pleasure  as  kindly  provided  and  given  of  God,  to  be  ac- 
cepted with  gratitude ; between  devoting  one’s  utmost  powers  to 
unlimited  acquisition,  and  being  satisfied  with  the  moderate  enjoy- 
ments which  man’s  physical  constitution  provides  for,  and  God’s 
love  bestows.  This  discrimination,  always  important  to  the  effect- 
ive moral  presentation  of  the  subject,  was  in  Solomon’s  case  alto- 
gether vital  to  the  least  success.  Having  been  over  the  same 
ground  himself  and  fully  comprehending  the  character  of  his  con- 
templated readers,  he  saw  how  surely  his  preaching  the  vanity  of 
worldly  things  would  fall  powerless  if  it  were  not  accompanied 
with  these  exceptive  modifications.  He  knew  that  men  of  the 
world  hold  the  constitutional  enjoyments  of  life  to  be  admissible 
and  right,  and  that  their  good  sense  persistently  repels  any  effort 
to  make  them  think  otherwise.  He  therefore  took  special  pains 
not  to  offend  and  repel  them  from  his  doctrine.  It  was  not  the 
moderate  enjoyment  of  one’s  daily  bread  or  of  the  well-ordered 
family  state  that  he  set  forth  as  vanity  and  exhorted  men  to  re- 
nounce. It  was  not  the  legitimate  use  but  the  gross  abuse  of 
the  world  that  he  condemned.  The  thing  he  decried  and  deplored 
was  that  in  this  matter  men  should  be  reckless  of  the  ordinations 
of  Divine  Providence  and  of  their  responsibility  to  their  Great 
Lawgiver  and  Judge,  and  that  then,  in  this  spirit,  not  satisfied 
with  the  moderate,  legitimate  enjoyments  of  life,  they  should  stride 
on  with  all-grasping  desire  and  unmeasured  toil  to  accumulate 
wealth,  honor,  and  sensual  pleasure  till  they  make  the  whole 
of  life  one  intense  and  utter  vanity,  and  bring  upon  themselves 
the  righteous  retributions  of  their  Maker.  His  book  as  a whole 
bears  this  construction,  and  it  is  therefore  due  to  the  author  to 
give  it. 


232 


INTRODUCTION. 


VL  The  Practical  Value  of  this  Book  for  the  age  of  Solomon 
and  for  every  age. — if  the  view  above  given  of  its  main  doctrine 
and  of  its  special  purpose  be  just,  it  surely  meets  a great  moral 
want  of  mankind.  For  who  does  not  know  that  the  over-anxious, 
excessive,  and  ungodly  pursuit  of  worldly  good  has  been,  in  all 
ages,  the  bane  of  the  race  ? Who  does  not  know  that  in  this  pur- 
suit men  have  trampled  down  the  rights  of  their  fellows,  have 
forgotten  God  their  Maker,  and  so  have  made  utter  shipwreck  of 

their  own  well-being  for  time  and  for  eternity ! Our  Lord  and 

his  apostles  have  borne  their  testimony  in  the  strongest  form  to  the 
greatness  of  this  sin  and  to  the  fearful  ruin  which  it  has  brought 
upon  both  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  men. 

In  the  age  of  Solomon,  the  value  of  this  book  was  heightened 
greatly  by  its  testimony  from  his  experience  and  by  his  personal 
relations  to  his  first  readers.  No  man  ever  lived  who  stood  out 
more  prominently  before  the  men  of  his  time  as  an  illustrious  ex- 
ample of  success  in  all  those  forms  of  earthly  good  which  human 
hearts  are  wont  to  love  and  seek.  Sagacious  and  far-seeing,  he 
made  every  undertaking  prosper.  Rich  beyond  all  precedent,  he 
enjoyed  the  luxury  of  having,  more  than  most  men,  made  his 
fortune  by  his  own  skillful  efforts.  Exalted  in  power,  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  witnessing  a steady  growth  and  expansion  of  his 
royal  influence  until  far  along  in  his  reign.  And  who  ever  had 
a wider  range  than  he  for  sensual  gratification?  What  was  there 
in  the  broad  fields  of  desirable  pleasure  that  he  could  not  com- 
mand to  his  heart’s  utmost  request? His  fame  went  abroad  to 

every  land.  He  was  known  every-where  as  the  wise,  the  honored, 
the  splendid,  the  successful  monarch  of  a great  and  prosperous 
kingdom.  The  Queen  of  Sheba  was  only  one  of  many  who  heard, 
admired,  and  applauded.  What  could  human  heart  wish  more  ? 

Now,  therefore,  let  such  a man  give  the  world  his  testimony 

as  to  the  intrinsic  satisfaction  which  such  a life  affords  him.  He 
is  surely  entitled  to  speak  by  authority.  There  is  no  impeaching 
his  testimony.  Let  him  speak,  and  let  a fair  construction  give  his 
words  their  legitimate  force  and  just  application.  Let  him  speak, 
and  let  not  his  words  be  snatched  from  his  lips  and  put  into  the 
mouth  of  some  unknown  author  who  would  impose  upon  mankind 
by  pretending  to  be  Solomon,  “ king  over  Israel  in  Jerusalem.” 
Let  him  speak;  all  the  wise  will  listen.  Let  him  speak;  his  ex- 
perience may  save  thousands  from  the  folly  of  a selfishly  pleasure- 


INTRODUCTION. 


233 


loving  and  pleasure-seeking  life,  and  from  the  ruin  which  such  a 
life  so  certainly  involves.  Let  him  speak,  and  let  the  earth  hear, 
for  his  voice  is  the  testimony  of  God,  warning  all  pleasure-loving 
men  of  the  rocks  on  which  myriads  have  made  shipwreck,  not  for 
time  only,  but  for  eternity. 


• ECCLESIASTES 


CHAPTER  I. 

Solomon  introduces  himself  (v.  1);  propounds  his  subject  (v.  2); 
begins  with  the  fruitlessness  of  human  toil  (v.  3) ; illustrates  it 
by  the  ceaseless  revolutions  in  the  course  of  nature  (vs.  4-7) ; 
corresponding  to  which  are  the  routine  and  labor  of  human  life 
(vs.  8-10) ; all  which  things  pass  into  oblivion,  never  making  suf- 
ficent  impression  to  be  long  remembered  (v.  11).  Again  the 
author  introduces  himself  in  order  to  speak  more  definitely  of  his 
own  experience  (vs.  12-18). 

1.  The  words  of  the  Preacher,  the  son  of  David,  king 
in  Jerusalem. 

David  had  no  other  son,  king  in  Jerusalem,  but  Solomon.  This 
verse,  therefore,  as  also  v.  12,  was  designed  to  describe  Solomon 

as  the  author  of  this  book. In  the  general  introduction  1 have 

referred  to  the  probable  reason  for  his  styling  himself  u the 
preacher;”  viz.,  that  in  this  book  he  appears  before  men,  not  in 
his  usual  character  of  king,  but  in  the  special  character  of  a 
moral  teacher,  inculcating  lessons  of  wisdom.  So  he  indicates  in 
his  closing  section : “ Because  the  Preacher  was  wise,  he  taught 

the  people  knowledge,”  etc.,  (12 : 9-12). The  original  Hebrew 

word  for  “Preacher”  is  by  some  critics  transferred  without  trans- 
lation— “ Coheleth .”  Hengstenberg  insists  that  being  feminine,  it 
must  be  an  abstract  noun  denoting  wisdom,  personified  (as  he 
supposes)  in  the  person  of  Solomon.  From  this  circumstance,  he 
labors  (unsuccessfully)  to  prove  that  the  author  of  the  book  was 
not  Solomon  himself.  I accept  the  explanation  given  by  Gesenius 
and  Stuart,  viz.,  that  in  Hebrew,  feminine  nouns  are  in  current 
use  to  denote  office,  station,  and  specifically  the  men  who  fill 
them,  as  we  say,  “his  Excellency;”  “his  royal  Highness;”  “his 

Grace  ” — indicating  thus  a person  who  fills  some  high  position. 

(234) 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  I. 


235 


The  sense  of  the  term  is  well  given  by  the  Septuagint  version 
which  has  the  Greek  word  “ Ecclesiastes,”  the  Preacher.  The 
Hebrew  verb  from  which  the  noun  comes,  means  primarily  to 
convoke  an  assembly,  but  obviously  is  associated  with  its  purpose, 
viz.,  to  address  them,  and  hence  the  idea  of  preacher.  Some  have 
supposed  that  the  idea  of  convening , gathering  (i.  e.,  the  people) 
contemplates  drawing  them  away  from  vanity  and  sin  to  God  and 
a religious  life.  This  seems  to  me  rather  far-fetched. Com- 

paring the  Song  of  Solomon  with  Ecclesiastes,  Wordsworth  says 
. beautifully — “Solomon’s  first  work,  the  Canticles,  is  entitled  the 
Song  of  Songs,  i.  e .,  the  most  excellent  of  all  songs,  for  there  he 
sings  the  joys  of  the  devout  soul  united  to  God.  But  his  last 
work,  Ecclesiastes,  begins,  ‘Vanity  of  vanities,.’  or  ‘Utter  vanity/ 
because  he  is  here  describing  the  hollowness  of  all  earthly  joys 
on  which  the  soul  sets  the  affections  independently  of  God.  The 
Song  of  Songs  describes  the  joy  of  the  human  soul  united  to  God ; 
but  Ecclesiastes  with  its  opening  words,  ‘Vanity  of  vanities,” 
describes  the  misery  of  the  soul  divorced  from  God.  The 
former  is  the  gladsome  carol  of  a spiritual  marriage;  the  latter 
is  the  funeral  dirge  of  a spiritual  death.  The  unrythmical  charac- 
ter of  Ecclesiastes  strengthens  the  contrast.  He  had  no  longer 
any  relish  for  poetry  and  song.”  (Compare  12:  4.) 

2.  Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher,  vanity  of  vani- 
ties ; all  is  vanity. 

The  phrase,  “vanity  of  vanities,”  is  a Hebrew  idiom,  denoting 
utter,  supreme  vanity;  the  most  vain  of  all  vain  things.  What 
and  how  much  he  included  under  the  comprehensive  statement, 
“ all  is  vanity/’  must  be  learned  from  the  book  as  a whole,  which 
will  give  his  own  comments  and  explanations.  Plainly  he  did  not 
intend  to  say  that  it  is  a vain  thing  to  “fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments ;”  but  only  that  all  other  human  life  but  this  is 
vain — vain  in  the  sense  of  being  profitless,  delusive,  fraught  with 
utter  disappointment  as  to  the  desired  result — enduring  and  soul- 
satisfying  happiness.  These  points  will  be  more  fully  and  clearly 
unfolded  as  we  proceed. 

3.  What  profit  hath  a man  of  all  his  labor  which  he 
taketh  under  the  sun? 

The  original  word  for  “profit”  suggests  the  sense — What  sur- 
plus of  good,  what  net  income  or  excess  of  good  over  actual  cost, 
comes  of  all  the  labor  of  men  which  is  done  under  the  sun  ? Men 
toil  for  bread;  they  eat  and  live;  then  die;  but  what  is  the  re- 
sult of  all?  Do  they  find  the  enduring  happiness  which  they 
seek  so  earnestly?  Alas!  for  their  utter  failure!  Such  is  the 
life  of  those  myriads  who  “ have  not  God  in  all  their  thoughts.” 
Their  life  as  to  enjryment  is  scarcely  more  or  other  than  that)  of 
animals ! 


236 


ECCLESIASTES — CHAP.  I. 


4.  One  generation  passeth  away,  and  another  generation 
cometh  : but  the  earth  abideth  forever. 

5.  The  sun  also  ariseth,  and  the.  sun  goeth  down,  and 
hasteth  to  his  place  where  he  arose. 

6.  The  wind  goeth  toward  the  south,  and  turneth  about 
unto  the  north;  it  whirleth  about  continually,  and  the 
wind  returneth  again  according  to  his  circuits. 

7.  All  the  rivers  run  into  the  sea ; yet  the  sea  is  not 
full : unto  the  place  from  whence  the  rivers  come,  thither 
they  return  again. 

Ceaseless  toil,  in  one  perpetual  round  with  no  real  progress; 
so  man  lives  and  labors,  and  gets  no  resulting  good.  This  seems 
to  be  the  central  thought  in  these  several  illustrations.  Human 
generations  come  and  go ; the  earth  on  which  they  dwell  abides 
unchanged.  The  sun  rises  and  sets  each  day,  and  according  to 
the  ancient  modes  of  expression,  hastens  by  some  unknown  path 
from  his  setting  place  to  his  rising,  to  come  forth  again  u like  a 
strong  man  to  run  a race.”  The  winds  blow  toward  the  south ; 
then  return  toward  the  north,  sweeping  round  their  ever  varying 
circuits;  and  just  so  the  waters  of  our  globe  are  in  ceaseless 
motion,  flowing  in  rivers  to  the  sea,  but  never  tilling  it;  for 
evaporation  lifts  those  waters  again  into  the  atmosphere  where 
they  form  clouds  which  pour  the  same  waters  again  upon  the 
earth — filling  the  springs,  swelling  the  rivers,  which  again  run 
into  the  great  deep  sea. So  the  order  of  nature  gives  us  per- 

petual revolution — which  in  one  aspect  of  it  is  labor  without 
progress.  It  is  in  this  special  aspect  that  Solomon  compares  these 
features  in  the  course  of  nature  with  the  course  of  human  life. 
It  is  indeed  a somber  view  of  human  life,  as  it  is  also  of  the 
course  of  nature ; but,  as  to  the  masses  of  men  in  every  age  of  the 
world  yet,  not  more  somber  than  true.  For  what  has  been  the 
product  of  substantial  good  from  the  toilsome  lives  of  the  myriads 
who  have  been  born,  have  lived,  and  have  died  in  the  lapse  of 
the  thousands  of  human  generations  since  the  world  began? 
What  have  they  done  to  bless  each  other  and  to  make  the  world 
better,  and  thereby  to  gain  for  themselves  the  solid  pleasures  of 
a useful  life? 

“ The  man  may  last,  but  never  lives. 

Who  much  receives,  but  nothing  gives  ; 

Whom  none  can  love,  whom  none  can  thank, 

Creation’s  blot;  creation’s  blank.” 

The  men  who  have  lasted  but  never  lived  through  the  few  and 
short  years  of  their  earthly  life,  to  pass  away  then  and  be  for- 
gotten, have  been  the  myriads  of  our  race;  the  rest  have  been  the 
rare  exceptions.  These  exceptions  would  give  us  quite  another 
view  of  human  life — its  labors  of  love  wrought  with  angelic  spirit; 
Belf-sacrificing,  but  for  this  very  reason,  prolific  in  the  purest 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  I. 


237 


enjoyment.  Corresponding  to  this  in  the  course  of  nature,  we 
should  think  of  the  sun  as  rising  to  pour  forth  light  and  heat  to 
the  jov  of  a waking  world,  to  the  quickening  of  animal  and  vege- 
table iife  in  all  climes — his  face  like  the  open  face  of  God  smiling 
on  the  worlds  he  has  made  fair  and  good.  The  changeful  winds 
break  the  otherwise  painful  monotony  of  climate  and  seasons, 
bringing  us  now  the  grateful  warmth  of  summers  heat  and  now 
the  welcome  stimulus  of  winter’s  cold;  now  the  rains  and  now 
the  cloudless  skies;  and  so  also  the  ceaseless  revolutions  of  the 
waters  of  our  earth  are  by  no  means  everlasting  labor  without 
resulting  good,  for  at  every  point  in  their  revolutions  they  perform 
some  ministries  of  useful  service.  Falling  in  rains  and  dews ; 
flowing  in  rivers;  rolling  in  the  billows  of  the  sea;  coming  back  in 
the  cool  overshadowing  clouds ; every- where  they  wait  on  man  and 
all  the  animal  races  with  their  hands  full  of  blessings.  So  human 
life  might  he;  so  it  would  be  if  men  were  only  true  to  the  mission 
God  gives  them  as  the  elements  of  nature  are  true  to  their  Creator 

in  the  sphere  he  gives  them  to  fill. But  Solomon  is  thinking 

only  of  the  never  ceasing  routine  of  human  toil,  selfishly  designed 
and  selfishly  applied ; and  to  get  from  nature  the  symbol  of  this  he 
must  think  of  the  ceaseless  march  of  human  generations  from  the 
cradle  to  the  grave  with  no  progress  in  human  well-being,  of  the 
naked  fact  of  everlasting  sameness  in  the  revolutions  of  the  sun 
and  the  winds  and  the  waters  of  our  globe. 

8.  All  things  are  full  of  labor;  man  can  not  utter  it:  the 
eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filled  with  hear- 
ing. 

The  first  clause  admits  of  two  constructions,  turning  on  the  two 
different  senses  of  the  word  rendered  “things,”  which  means  not 
only  things,  but  more  often  and  naturally  words.  Hence  some  of 
the  best  critics,  e.  g.,  Gesenius,  Hengstenberg,  and  Stuart,  read; 
“All  words  tire” — i.  e.,  in  the  effort  to  describe  it.  This  construc- 
tion has  also  in  its  favor  that  it  harmonizes  with  the  next  clause, 

“Man  can  not  utter  it.” Other  critics,  e.  g.,  Rosenmueller  and 

Michaelis,  are  with  the  English  version.  Neither  sense  is  bad. — — 
The  last  clause — “the  eye  not  satisfied,”  etc.,  gives  other  illustra- 
tions of  the  leading  truth  of  the  passage — human  desire  never 
fully  gratified.  Everlasting  toil  with  no  adequate  compensating 
returns. 

9.  The  thing  that  hath  been,  it  is  that  which  shall  be  ; 
and  that  which  is  done  is  that  which  shall  be  done:  and 
there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun. 

10.  Is  there  any  thing  whereof  it  may  be  said,  See  this  is 
new  ? it  hath  been  already  of  old  time,  which  was  before  us. 

Human  life  affords  nothing  new.  It  is  only  a perpetual  recur- 
rence of  the  same  things.  What  has  been  is  the  same  with  what 


238 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  I. 


will  be:  only  one  unvarying  routine  of  labor  and  toil  after  good 

which  yet  men  never  find. The  last  clause  of  v.  10  might  well 

be  read:  “Long  ago  hath  it  been  in  the  ages  that  were  before  us.” 

What  Solomon  says  here  was  true  on  a larger  scale  then  than 

now ; there  in  western  Asia,  than  here  in  our  America.  That  was 
neither  the  age  nor  the  country  for  those  new  things  which  come 
up  among  us  in  the  progress  of  the  arts  and  the  wonders  of  mod- 
ern invention.  Yet  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  Solomon’s 
thought  is  mainly  upon  the  great  operations  of  the  material  world 
and  the  laws  of  human  life. 

11.  There  is  no  remembrance  of  former  things;  neither 
shall  there  be  any  remembrance  of  things  that  are  to  come 
with  those  that  shall  come  after. 

Events  once  passed  are  no  more  remembered  ; events  yet  future 
will  in  like  manner  be  forgotten  by  those  who  shall  live  after  they 
have  transpired.  No  man  can  do  any  thing  that  will  make  suffi- 
cient impression  on  the  mind  of  the  race  to  be  long  remembered. 
We  all  know  that  the  countless  things  done  in  the  ages  before  us 
have,  almost  without  exception,  dropped  into  oblivion  forever.  We 
must  infer  the  same  result  in  regard  to  whatever  we  or  others  may 
be  doing  now.  Consequently  man’s  passion  for  a name  and  fame 
that  shall  outlast  his  mortal  life  is  sure  to  be  frustrated ; and  he 
might  as  well  know  beforehand  that  all  such  hopes  are  vain. 
What  then  comes  of  human  toil?  All  human  glory  perishes. 
Life  is  but  a treadmill  process  with  no  resulting  good  that  endures 
and  pays  him  for  his  labor.  This  is  the  outcome  of  every  pleasure- 
seeking life.  To  this  conclusion  it  must  come  at  last. 

12.  I the  Preacher  was  king  over  Israel  in  Jerusalem. 

This  renewed  introduction  of  himself  to  his  readers,  essentially 
repeating  what  he  had  said  in  v.  1,  seems  to  have  special  refer- 
ence to  the  statement  which  immediately  follows.  I,  who  have 
been  and  still  am  king,  have,  notwithstanding  the  cares  of  my 
kingdom,  given  my  attention  very  closely  to  the  great  philosophical 

problem  of  human  life  and  happiness. Those  who  attribute  the 

book  to  some  other  pen  than  Solomon’s  make  a point  here  by  ask- 
ing why  Solomon  should  need  to  tell  his  own  subjects  that  he  was 
king  over  Israel  in  Jerusalem.  Who  of  them  all  did  not  know  this 

already? 1 answer,  (1.)  It  is  one  thing  that  a man  of  Israel 

should  know  that  Solomon  was  his  king,  and  quite  another  to 
know  that  this  same  Solomon  wrote  this  book.  The  latter  they 
would  not  know  by  any  intuition  nor  by  any  testimony  so  naturally 

as  from  his  own  statement  in  the  book  itself. But  (2.)  A more 

important  reason  for  the  statement  lay  in  the  point  assumed  in  my 
introduction,  viz. : that  this  book  was  written  to  go  abroad  to  other 
lands  where  Solomon  was  less  known.  Perhaps  he  hoped  it  might 
go‘  where  he  was  not  known  at  all,  or  only  by  vague  rumor.  The 
specifications  precisely  meet  this  supposition  : “ I was  king not 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  I. 


239 


a subject,  or  in  any  other  more  humble  station  of  life  than  royalty. 
I was  king  over  Israel — a nation  you  may  have  heard  of ; and  in 
Jerusalem  ,”  whose  regal  splendor  as  a city  of  the  great  king  has 
gone  abroad  probably  to  your  own  distant  land.  Besides,  Solo 
mon  may  have  been  already  apprised  that  his  kingdom  was  to  be 
rent  asunder  and  no  successor  of  his  be  king  over  all  Israel  in 
Jerusalem.  The  future  kings  of  Israel  located  their  thrones  else- 
where. 

13.  And  I gave  my  heart  to  seek  and  search  out  by  wis- 
dom concerning  all  things  that  are  done  under  heaven : this 
sore  travail  hath  God  given  to  the  sons  of  man  to  be  ex- 
ercised therewith. 

The  course  of  thought  in  this  book  shows  that  the  precise  point 
of  his  philosophical  study  was  not  so  much  the  laws  of  human 
action  as  the  results  of  human  toil — the  question  being  whether 
the  usual  struggle  for  earthly  happiness  is  successful,  and,  if  not, 
why  it  fails  and  how  it  can  be  made  successful.  A philosophical 
inquiry  into  the  motives  of  human  conduct  and  the  means  of  act- 
ing upon  the  human  will,  would  be  quite  another  thing ; and  yet 
more  unlike  still  would  be  a philosophical  inquiry  into  the  nature 
of  the  will  and  into  its  relations  to  our  other  mental  faculties. 
Solomon’s  inquiry  is  conducted  with  wisdom,  is  pursued  labori- 
ously, and  is  one  of  most  vital  moment  in  a practical  point  of  view. 

As  to  the  last  half  of  the  verse,  it  is  a question  whether  this 

sore  travail  is  that  of  human  life  generally,  or  that  which  he  him- 
self experiences  in  this  study  of  human  life.  Is  it  the  subject- 
matter  of  his  philosophical  investigations,  or  is  it  the  very  labor 

itself  of  pushing  this  investigation  ? In  favor  of  the  former  view 

is  the  fact  that  precisely  the  same  language  is  used  (chap.  3:  10) 
for  this  travail  of  human  life  which  God  gives  to  all  men.  The 
strong  reason  for  the  latter  is  that  this  thought  appears  in  vs.  1 7, 
18,  at  the  close  of  this  chapter.  The  critics  chiefly  adopt  the  lat- 
ter view.  The  former  seems  to  me  preferable,  especially  because 
he  would  not  be  likely  to  speak  of  philosophical  inquiries  like  his 
as  u given  to  the  sons  of  men  ” to  toil  upon,  since  in  fact  not  one 
in  ten  thousand  give  their  minds  as  he  did  to  this  study.  In  this 
construction,  the  last  clause  is  in  apposition  (parenthetically)  with 
the  “all  things”  that  are  done  under  the  sun.  He  means  to 
affirm  of  the  “all  things”  that  they  involve  a vast  amount  of  toil 
imposed  upon  man  after  his  fall  by  the  ordinations  of  divine  prov- 
idence. “In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread  till  thou 
return  unto  the  dust.” 

14.  I have  seen  all  the  works  that  are  done  under  the 
sun;  and  behold,  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

Beyond  question  this  refers  to  the  toilsome  works  of  the  race  as 
a whole,  and  not  to  the  toilsome  philosophical  study  of  their 
works,  such  as  his  own  had  been.  lie  affirms  of  it  that  he  has 

11 


240 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  II. 


found  it  to  be  all  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit,  or,  as  the  Hebrew 
might  be  more  precisely  rendered,  a striving  after  wind — a fruit 
less  and  irksome  labor. 

15.  That  which  is  crooked  can  not  be  made  straight:  and 
that  which  is  wanting  can  not  be  numbered. 

The  passage  (chap.  T:  13)  seems  manifestly  parallel  to  this,  and 
therefore  may  give  us  a clue  to  the  meaning  here.  “Consider  the 
work  of  God,  for  who  can  make  that  straight  which  he  hath  made 
crooked?”  In  consequence  of  sin,  God  has  subjected  the  course 
of  nature  to  certain  physical  evils,  e.  g.,  destructive  storms,  ruin- 
ous droughts,  extremes  of  heat  and  of  cold,  earthquakes,  pestilence, 
disease,  death.  The  sense  of  the  original  words  is,  Who  can  re- 
duce to  order  that  which  God  hath  put  in  disorder?  Who  can 
change  the  ordinations  of  his  providence  in  the  rule  of  earthly 
things?  If  man  could  do  this  at  his  ©wn  will,  he  might  avoid 
many  of  those  disasters  which  frustrate  the  wisest  of  human  plans 

and  overthrow  the  best  laid  schemes  for  earthly  good. That 

which  is  wanting  is  not,  and  therefore  can  not  be  taken  into  -ac- 
count. Man  often  finds  precisely  this  fatal  lack  of  the  things  he 
happens  to  need  sufficient  to  frustrate  his  best  endeavors. 

16.  I communed  with  mine  own  heart,  saying,  Lo,  I am 
come  to  great  estate,  and  have  gotten  more  wisdom  than 
all  they  that  have  been  before  me  in  Jerusalem:  yea,  my 
heart  had  great  experience  of  wisdom  and  knowledge. 

17.  And  I gave  my  heart  to  know  wisdom,  and  to  know 
madness  and  folly : I perceived  that  this  also  is  vexation 
of  spirit. 

18.  For  in  much  wisdom  is  much  grief:  and  he  that  in- 
creased knowledge  increased  sorrow. 

These  are  his  reflections  upon  his  own  personal  history,  turning 
especially  upon  the  sadness  and  pain  which  his  studies  of  human 

life  had  occasioned  him. “I  gave  my  heart  to  know  madness 

and  folly,”  i.  e .,  in  the  sense  of  finding  out  what  they  are  good  for 
toward  the  result  of  human  happiness.  He  found  that  such  studies 
were  fraught  with  sorrow.  The  results  were  only  a grief  to  his 
heart. 





CHAPTER  II. 

The  writer  still  speaks  of  his  personal  experience.  He  made 
trial  of  mirth  and  conviviality  (vs.  1,  2);  of  wine  and  folly  (v. 
3)  ; of  houses,  gardens,  servants,  cattle,  gold,  and  music  (vs.  4-8) 
— of  every  thing  heart  could  desire,  but  it  proved  only  vanity  (vs. 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  II. 


241 


9-11).  He  finds  wisdom  far  better  than  folly  (vs.  12-14),  yet 
such  are  the  ordinations  of  Providence  that  both  the  wise  man 
and  the  fool  are  subjected  in  many  respects  to  a common  destiny 
(vs.  14-16),  which  makes  life  and  all  its  labors  seem  intensely 
irksome  (v.  17),  especially  because  he  must  leave  all  at  death  so 
soon  and  can  by  no  means  control  it  after  his  death  (vs.  18-21). 
He  concludes  that  all  is  vanity  (vs.  22,  23)  save  the  little  that  God 
gives  man  to  enjoy  in  this  very  labor  itself  (vs.  24,  25).  The  wealth 
of  sinners  is  laid  up  for  the  just,  so  that  sinners  at  least  labor  as 
tr,  themselves  altogether  in  vain  (v.  26). 

1.  I said  in  mine  heart,  Go  to  now,  I will  prove  thee  with 
mirth  ; therefore  enjoy  pleasure : and,  behold,  this  also  is 
vanity. 

2.  I said  of  laughter,  It  is  mad : and  of  mirth,  What 
doeth  it  ? 

Throughout  this  chapter  both  the  forms  of  statement  and  the 
nature  of  the  things  said  combine  to  show  that  it  is  precisely 
the  personal  experience  of  Solomon,  adduced  as  bearing  directly 
on  the  main  point  of  the  discussion,  the  vanity  of  a pleasure-seek- 
ing life.  First,  he  tries  mirth  and  hilarity;  but  ah!  this  is  only 
vanity  ! His  experience  compels  him  to  say  of  laughter,  “ It  is 
mad.”  This  Hebrew  word  for  “mad  ” suggests  rather  that  it  shines 
with  a false  glare,  and  plays  off  a false  splendor  in  which  there  is 

nothing  substantial. Of  mirth  he  said,  What  can  it  do  ? i.  e ., 

for  the  real  good  of  human  souls  ? 

3.  I sought  in  mine  heart  to  give  myself  unto  wine,  yet 
acquainting  mine  heart  with  wisdom ; and  to  lay  hold  on 
folly,  till  I might  see  what  was  that  good  for  the  sons  of 
men,  which  they  should  do  under  the  heaven  all  the  days 
of  their  life. 

The  first  clause  plainly  means  that  he  experimented  with  wine, 
aiming  to  use  it  wisely ; but  the  more  precise  sense  of  the  Hebrew, 
rendered — “To  give  myself  to  wine,”  is  very  much  in  dispute. 
The  Hebrew  verb  is  in  somewhat  frequent  use  in  the  general 
sense — to  draw,  to  draw  out,  to  prolong.  Gesenius  has  it  — “ to 
prolong  the  body;  to  make  it  durable,  robust,  firm;  to  strengthen.” 
Hengstenberg,  “ I sought  in  my  heart  to  nourish  my  flesh  with 
wine.”  Posenmueller,  “to  prolong  the  excitement  of  wine  for 
the  sake  of  greater  enjoyment.”  Stuart  finds  here  the  figure  of 
drawing  the  body  as  a chariot  is  drawn,  wisdom  guiding  it  as 
the  charioteer  does  his  chariot.  Clearly  the  author  means  that  he 
sought  to  make  a very  discreet  and  wise  use  of  wine,  to  get  all 
the  physical  good  and  all  the  present  enjoyment  from  it  he  could 
with  the  least  possible  evil. The  clause  rendered,  “yet  ac- 

quainting my  heart  with  wisdom,”  is  parenthetic  and  yields  a bet- 
ter sense  if  translated  more  literally,  thus  (“my  heart  still  leading 


242 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  II. 


on  with  wisdom”)  i.  e .,  in  all  my  use  of  wine  I still  subjected  my* 
self  to  the  dictates  of  wisdom. 

4.  I made  me  great  works ; I builded  me  houses  ; I 
planted  me  vineyards : 

5.  I made  me  gardens  and  orchards,  and  I planted  trees 
in  them  of  all  hind  of  fruits  : 

6.  I made  me  pools  of  water,  to  water  therewith  the 
wood  that  bringeth  forth  trees : 

7.  I got  me  servants  and  maidens,  and  had  servants  born 
in  my  house  ; also  I had  great  possessions  of  great  and  small 
cattle  above  all  that  were  in  Jerusalem  before  me : 

8.  I gathered  me  also  silver  and  gold,  and  the  peculiar 
treasure  of  kings,  and  of  the  provinces : I got  me  men- 
singers  and  women-singers,  and  the  delights  of  the  sons  of 
men,  as  musical  instruments,  and  that  of  all  sorts. 

This  is  a chapter  of  Solomon’s  personal  history.  The  reader 

will  find  much  of  it  in  its  historic  form  in  1 Kings,  9 and  10. 

He  built  a magnificent  house  (temple)  for  the  Lord  his  God;  one 
for  himself;  one  for  his  Eg}^ptian  wife;  another  for  a royal  arse- 
nal, “the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon.” The  word  rendered 

“orchards”  is  paradises,  i.  e.,  parks,  pleasure-gardens  with  groves. 

In  v.  6,  the  word  “wood”  has  the  sense  of  grove , a cluster  of 

trees,  the  groves  in  which  trees  were  cultivated. The  last  clause 

of  v.  8,  it  is  now  generally  conceded  by  the  best  critics,  must  have 
the  sense — a wife  and  wives.  The  original  words  seem  to  have  no 
reference  whatever  to  musical  instruments.  “The  delights  of  the 
sons  of  men”  (see  Cant.  7 : 7)  are  amorous  pleasures.  The  prom- 
inence of  these  pleasures  in  the  actual  life  of  Solomon  forbids  their 
omission  in  this  list.  Indeed  their  very  prominent  place  in  his  life 
corresponds  to  their  place  in  the  climax  here.  It  also  appears  in 
the  history  that  he  had  one  wife  “ par  excellence,”  viz.,  the  daughter 
of  Pharaoh;  and  besides  her,  many  subordinate  wives. 

9.  So  I was  great,  and  increased  more  than  all  that  were 
before  me  in  Jerusalem:  also  my  wisdom  remained  with  me. 

10.  And  whatsoever  mine  eyes  desired  I kept  not  from 
them,  I withheld  not  my  heart  from  any  joy ; for  my  heart 
rejoiced  in  all  my  labor:  and  this  was  my  portion  of  all 
my  labor. 

11.  Then  I looked  on  all  the  works  that  my  hands  had 
wrought,  and  on  the  labor  that  I had  labored  to  do : and 
behold,  all  was  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit,  and  there  ivas 
no  profit  under  the  sun. 

Here  is  an  apparent  discrepancy  between  v.  10  and  v.  11,  since 
in  v.  10,  he  says — “ My  heart  rejoiced  in  all  my  labor,”  but  in  v. 
11  he  looks  upon  all  this  labor  and  pronounces  it  only  vanity  and 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  II. 


243 


vexation  of  spirit.  Does  he  mean  that  while  he  was  in  the  midst 
of  this  toil  he  thought  himself  happy;  but  that  his  more  mature 
reflections  afterward  convinced  him  of  his  mistake ; or  this — that 
there  was  a certain  measure  of  enjoyment  in  his  very  activities 
and  labors ; in  the  consciousness  of  power  and  the  sense  of  suc- 
cess ; and  that  this  was  precisely  his  portion  of  earthly  good — all 
there  is  of  it:  but  that  when  the  days  of  acquisition  were  past, 
and  he  came  to  look  back  upon  his  accumulations  of  earthly  good, 
the  product  of  his  immense  toil,  he  found  nothing  but  vanity  and 
vexation  ? He  plainly  seemed  to  himself  to  have  toiled  for  nothing. 
There  was  no  profit.  The  things  he  had  accumulated  supposing 
they  would  be  permanent  sources  of  good,  had  no  more  happiness 
to  give  him.  The  little  satisfaction  he  found  in  the  labor  itself  was 
all  they  had  to  give.  The  things  he  had  acquired  proved  to  be 
emptiness  and  vanity.  This  view  corresponds  closely  with  his 
language.  So  it  does  also  with  all  humafi  experience.  There  is 
undeniably  some  enjoyment  in  the  process  of  accumulating  a great 
estate.  Men  hope  they  shall  enjoy  it  exceedingly  when  they  have 
gotten  it,  and  this  pleasure  of  hope  is  one  item  of  enjoyment.  The 
very  activity  itself  affords  health  and  happiness,  and  there  is  withal 
a cherished  consciousness  of  power ; but  when  the  toil  is  over  and 
men  come  to  reflect  on  the  actual  profit;  when  they  ask  their  own 
hearts — Am  I now  realizing  those  visions  of  hope  that  lured  me  on 
through  my  life-long  labor  ? Alas  ! the  conviction  forces  itself  upon 
them  that  all  this  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.  The  care  of 
keeping  safely  outweighs  the  pleasure  of  using.  The  hope  of  en- 
during and  satisfying  joy  is  blasted. 

12.  And  I turned  myself  to  behold  wisdom,  and  madness, 
and  folly : for  what  can  the  man  do  that  cometh  after  the 
king?  even  that  which  hath  been  already  done. 

13.  Then  I saw  that  wisdom  excelleth  folly,  as  far  as 
light  excelleth  darkness. 

14.  The  wise  man’s  eyes  are  in  his  head  ; but  the  fool 
walketh  in  darkness : and  I myself  perceived  also  that  one 
event  happeneth  to  them  all. 

Somewhat  changing  the  subject,  he  compares  wisdom  with  folly. 
Throughout  this  book,  wisdom  is  rather  sagacity  than  piety.  It 
is  the  skill  which  plans  well  for  the  attainment  of  its  ends,  and 
not,  as  usually  in  the  book  of  Proverbs  and  in  Job,  “ the  fear  of  the 

Lord,”  and  the  principle  of  implicit  obedience  to  his  will. 1 

turned  my  attention  to  consider  closely  wisdom  as  compared  with 
madness  and  folly.  What  can  a man  hope  to  accomplish  coming 
after  the  king?  Can  he  experiment  more  successfully?  Hay;  he 
can  do  only  what  has  been  done  as  well  or  better  by  others  before 
him.  Solomon  hints  that  his  experiment  ought  to  be  satisfactory 

and  conclusive,  since  no  man  can  succeed  where  he  has  failed.- 

In  the  middle  of  v.  14,  the  turn  of  thought  is  strongly  adversative: 
but , although  wisdom  is  so  much  above  folly,  yet  1 saw  that  the 


244 


ECCLESIASTES -CHAP.  II. 


wise  man  and  the  fool  are  in  some  respects  subjected  to  the  same 
destiny.  This  becomes  a very  exceptive  fact  in  its  bearings  upon 
the  superior  practical  value  of  wisdom  over  folly — as  he  proceeds 
uo  show  more  fully. 

15.  Then  said  I in  my  heart,  As  it  happeneth  to  the  fool, 
so  it  happeneth  even  to  me ; and  why  was  I then  more  wise  ? 
Then  I said  in  my  heart,  that  this  also  is  vanity. 

16.  For  there  is  no  remembrance  of  the  wise  more  than 
of  the  fool  forever;  seeing  that  which  now  is,  in  the  days 
to  come  shall  all  be  forgotten.  And  how  dieth  the  wise  man  $ 
as  the  fool. 

17.  Therefore  I hated  life;  because  the  work  that  is 
wrought  under  the  sun  is  grievous  unto  me : for  all  is  van- 
ity and  vexation  of  spirit. 

“Saying  in  the  heart”  is  thoughtful  reflection,  talking  to  one’s 

self,  and  turning  the  matter  over  and  over  in  one’s  mind. As 

it  happeneth  to  the  fool,  so  it  will  happen  to  me,  even  to  me  (wise 
though  I am);  why  then  have  I been  so  very  wise?  That  is, 
what  comes  of  it?  Of  what  use  does  it  prove  to  be  to  me,  since 
in  the  end  I must  succumb  to  the  common  destiny  of  all  mortal 
men,  whether  wise  or  foolish?  Common  to  both  is  this  inevitable 
oblivion  that  sweeps  over  the  deeds  and  the  life  of  all  mankind. 
They  will  none  of  them  be  long  remembered.  “ That  which  is  now, 
in  the  days  to  come  will  have  been  long  ago  forgotten,”  and  there- 
fore be  quite  lost  from  the  thought  of  all  the  living. The  last 

clause  of  v.  16  is  better  read  as  an  exclamation  of  sadness:  “And 
how  dieth  the  wise  man  like  the  fool ! ” Alas,  to  think  that  the 
wise  no  less  than  the  fool  must  die ! that  both  are  doomed  to  the 
same  inevitable  destiny  of  death! Taking  this  view  of  the  sub- 

jection of  all  human  life  to  this  revolting  necessity  of  passing 
away  from  earth  and  being  for  evermore  forgotten,  I hated  life,  for 
all  the  work  done  under  the  sun  appeared  odious  to  me.  My  heart 
sickened  at  the  thought  of  such  death  and  oblivion — the  unavoidable 

conditions  of  all  human  existence. It  need  not  be  supposed  that 

Solomon  meant  here  to  deny  what  he  had  said  in  his  proverbs 
(chap.  14:  32)  of  the  broad  contrast  in  death  between  the  wicked 
and  the  righteous:  “The  wicked  is  driven  away  in  his  wickedness; 
but  the  righteous  hath  hope  in  his  death.”  For  we  may  either 
say  that  his  subject  here  did  not  lead  him  to  speak  of  these 
aspects  of  death,  or  we  may  say  that  during  his  pleasure-loving 
and  seeking  life,  his  heart  was  drawn  away  from  God,  and  for  the 
time,  he  had  no  comfort  from  that  hope  in  death  which  the  right- 
eous man  enjoys.  That  is,  he  is  here  recording  his  own  personal 
experiences — the  thoughts  that  coursed  through  his  mind  in  those 
days  of  his  vain  pursuit  of  earthly  pleasure.  These  are  the  views 
he  had  then,  and  they  are  such  as  his  contemplated  readers,  them- 
selves far  from  God,  should  pertinently  take  while  they  are  esti- 


ECCLESIASTES  -CHAP.  II. 


245 


mating  the  inherent  value  of  all  pleasure  that  is  merely  of  the 
earth,  earthy. 

18.  Yea,  I hated  all  my  labor  which  I had  taken  under 
the  sun : because  I should  leave  it  unto  the  man  that  shall 
be  after  me. 

19.  And  who  knoweth  whether  he  shall  be  a wise  man 
3r  a fool?  yet  shall  he  have  rule  over  all  my  labor  wherein 
I have  labored,  and  wherein  I have  showed  myself  wise 
under  the  sun.  This  is  also  vanity. 

20.  Therefore  I went  about  to  cause  my  heart  .to  despair 
of  all  the  labor  which  I took  under  the  sun. 

21.  For  there  is  a man  whose  labor  is  in  wisdom,  and  in 
knowledge,  and  in  equity;  yet  to  a man  that  hath  not  la- 
bored therein  shall  he  leave  it  for  his  portion.  This  also  is 
vanity  and  a great  evil. 

Another  and  third  fact  incident  to  all  human  life  and  labor 
adds  to  his  discontent  and  vexation.  He  can  not  control  the 
fruits  of  his  labor  after  he  is  dead.  He  may  have  wrought  never 
so  wisely:  at  his  death  all  he  has  done  or  accumulated  may  go 
into  the  hands  of  some  fool  who  has  done  nothing  to  produce 
this  wealth,  and  nothing  to  deserve  it.  Who  knows  whether  his 
wealth  shall  go,  at  his  death,  into  the  hands  of  a wise  man  or  a 
fool  ? In  this  view  of  the  contingencies  of  human  labor,  Solomon 
turned  to  make  his  heart  despair,  etc.  He  was  strongly  tempted 
to  feel  that  it  was  all  useless  and  fruitless.  His  mind  turned  to 
take  this  view  of  the  matter.  Alas,  said  he  to  himself,  how  un- 
substantial, how  short-lived  are  all  my  enjoyments ! How  soon 
may  all  that  I have  toiled  so  laboriously  and  so  wisely  to  accu- 
mulate, fall  into  the  hand  of  some  spendthrift,  perhaps  the  vilest 
of  men  and  the  laziest,  and  become  only  a curse  to  him,  and  through 
him  to  all  the  living  world ! Alas,  that  the  history  of  great  es- 

tates should,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  be  precisely  this  and  noth- 
ing better  ! Plainly  God  would  have  this  fact  stand  out  before  the 
eyes  of  every  man  who  is  toiling  to  build  up  a vast  estate,  admon- 
ishing him  to  give  his  children  durable  and  not  perishable  riches — 
that  heavenly  wisdom  which  only  blesses,  rather  than  the  earthly 
wealth  which  by  itself  and  alone  can  scarcely  fail  of  being  a curse. 

It  is  supposable  that  Solomon  saw  developments  in  his  son 

Rehoboam  which  suggested  these  reflections. 

22.  For  what  hath  man  of  all  his  labor,  and  of  the  vexa- 
tion of  his  heart,  wherein  he  hath  labored  under  the  sun? 

23.  For  all  his  days  are  sorrows,  and  his  travail  grief;  yea, 
his  heart  taketh  not  rest  in  the  night.  This  is  also  vanity. 

These  verses  look  simply  at  the  case  of  the  man  who  is  toiling 
to  amass  wealth.  How  hard  he  works  ? How  diligently  he  plans 


246 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  II. 


How  intense  are  his  anxieties!  Sleep  will  not  come  at  his  bid 
ding.  Hengstenberg  well  translates,  “For  all  his  days  are  sor- 
row, and  discontent  is  his  plague.”  Truly  such  a life  is  a vanity. 

24.  There  is  nothing  better  for  a man,  than  that  he  should 
eat  and  drink,  and  that  he  should  make  his  soul  enjoy  good 
in  his  labor.  This  also  I saw,  that  it  was  from  the  hand  of 
God. 

This  may  be  read  interrogatively.  Is  it  not  good  for  man  that 
he  eat  and  drink  and  make  his  soul  see  good  in  his  labor?  The 
comparative  sense,  “There  is  nothing  better  than,”  etc.,  is  not 
clearly  expressed  in  the  original.  Yet  the  ultimate  sense  is  nearly 
the  same  either  way.  Substantially  the  same  thought  appears, 
chap.  3:  12,  13,  22  and  5:  18  and  8:  15.  Solomon  meant  to  say 
that  the  surest  and  the  best  of  all  the  good  that  is  properly  of  this 
world,  pertaining  to  this  mortal  life,  consists  in  the  moderate  en- 
joyment of  our  daily  bread,  and  in  our  labor  to  supply  these  natural 
wants  of  those  who  are  dependent  upon  us.  So  much  God  gives 
us  to  enjoy,  and  it  should  be  accepted  as  his  gift.  These  moderate 
enjoyments  are  here  put  in  contrast  with  the  corroding  anxieties, 
the  ever-grasping  spirit  and  never-ceasing  labors  of  the  man  who 
is  bent  on  hoarding  immense  treasures  and  building  up  a vast 
estate.  Solomon  would  say,  Take  the  moderate  enjoyment  of  what 
suffices  to  meet  your  animal  wants,  and  desist  from  those  infinite 
toils  for  what  you  can  never  enjoy. 

25.  For  who  can  eat,  or  who  else  can  hasten  hereunto , 
more  than  I ! 

If  we  accept  the  Hebrew  text  and  read  “more  than  I,”  the 
meaning  is  that  Solomon  considers  his  experience  of  the  pleasures 
in  question  entirely  valid  to  his  argument  and  not  to  be  gainsay ed. 
Who  can  know  better  than  I do  what  the  pleasures  of  eating 

amount  to  ? But  the  Septuagint  and  Syriac  versions  have  the 

pronoun  of  the  third  person,  and  not  of  the  first,  giving  the  sense, 
Who  can  eat  and  who  can  enjoy  himself  without  (i.  e .,  apart  from) 
God?  All  are  dependent  on  his  blessing  for  the  health  which 
enables  men  to  enjoy  food  or  any  animal  pleasure,  and  also  for 

the  means  of  such  enjoyment. Either  sense  is  good;  the  latter, 

very  good ; yet  it  is  well  to  adhere  to  the  principle  of  taking  the 
Hebrew  text  as  it  stands  unless  the  reasons  for  changing  it  are  of 
the  strongest  kind. 

26.  For  God  giveth  to  a man  that  is  good  in  his  sight, 
wisdom,  and  knowledge,  and  joy  : but  to  the  sinner  he 
giveth  travail,  to  gather  and  to  heap  up,  that  he  may  give 
to  him  that  is  good  before  God.  This  also  is  vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit. 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


247 


The  point  most  vital  to  the  sense  of  this  verse  is,  What 
is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit?  Of  luhat  'particular  thing  does 

the  author  affirm  that  “ this  also  is  vanity  ?” It  is  not  even 

supposable  that  Solomon  is  thinking  of  the  good  man  whom  God 
loves,  and  to  whom  he  gives  the  accumulated  wealth  of  the  wicked. 
Dismissing  this,  therefore,  the  choice  lies  between  these  two  sup- 
positions; viz.,  either  those  agencies  of  God  in  his  providence 
which  take  the  wicked  man’s  stores  away  and  give  them  to  the 
good  man;  or  the  case  of  the  wicked  man  himself,  thus  stripped 
of  his  hard-gotten  wealth.  It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that 
the  author  meant  to  say — It  is  a vanity  and  a vexation  that  God 
should  manage  human  affairs  on  this  principle.  But  there  is  no 
necessity  of  attributing  a sense  so  revolting  as  this  to  Solomon’s 
language.  The  other  is  therefore  for  every  reason  to  be  preferred 

and  adopted. To  the  wicked  man  it  is  indeed  a vanity  and  a 

vexation  of  spirit  that  God  lets  him  toil  on  for:  earthly  good  and 
amass  heaps  of  treasure,  but  only  to  give  it  to  the  good  man 
whom  this  wicked  man  malignantly  hates.  This  is  intensely 
galling  and  vexatious. In  favor  of  this  construction  is  its  har- 

mony with  the  entire  drift  of  the  book.  For  obviously  the  book 
in  whole  labors  to  point  out  in  detail  the  circumstances  which  make 
a pleasure-loving  and  godless  life  a failure  and  a mere  vanity. 
In  addition  to  many  other  points,  here  is  a new  one  of  the  same 
general  character  with  the  rest,  viz.,  that  God  gives  travail  and 
stores  of  wealth  to  the  wicked,  yet  only  that  he  may  in  the  end 

take  it  away  from  him  and  give  it  to  the  righteous. On  the  other 

hand,  it  is  not  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  this  book  to  find 
fault  with  God’s  management  of  this  world  in  his  providential  gov- 
ernment. Every  where  the  author  vindicates  God  and  justifies  his 
ways  toward  men.  We  are  therefore  by  no  means  warranted  in 
fairness  and  charity  to  construe  this  passage  squarely  against  the 

entire  strain  of  all  the  rest  of  the  book. The  doctrine  that  God 

gives  to  the  good  man  the  wealth  gotten  by  the  wicked  appears  not 
unfrequently  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  fact  was  doubtless  in 
some  measure  characteristic  of  that  ancient  economy.  (See  Prov. 
13 : 22,  “The  wealth  of  the  sinner  is  laid  up  for  the  just.”)  (Also 
Prov.  28:  8 and  Job  27:  16,  17.) 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  central  thought  in  vs.  1-15,  I take  to  be  that  God’s  over- 
ruling hand  in  providence  shapes  human  events  so  that  life  is  full 
of  changes  and  even  contrasts,  doings  and  undoings ; and  that  con- 
sequently a vast  amount  of  human  toil  is  fruitless;  but  God  would 
have  men  study  his  works  and  ways,  and  learn  to  fear  him  rever- 


248 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


ently  and  obey  him  sincerely;  desist  from  excessive  eagerness 
for  worldly  good,  and  be  content  and  happy  in  the  moderate 

legitimate  enjoyments  which  he  provides. V.  16  starts  a new 

train  of  thought,  beginning  with  the  fact  of  cruel  injustice  in  the 
administration  of  law,  where  righteousness  should  reign;  advanc- 
ing to  the  fact  of  God’s  righteous  retribution  for  this  sin,  which  sin 
develops  intense  moral  brutishness,  and  shows  that  the  doom  of 
mortality  to  man  in  common  with  beasts  is  obviously  righteous, 
for  he  who  will  live  like  the  brutes  morally  should  die  like 
the  brutes  physically.  But  man’s  spirit,  bearing  higher  respon- 
sibilities, must  have  a far  different  destiny.  Let  this  also 
dissuade  man  from  an  intense  and  excessive  pursuit  of  worldly 
good,  and  make  him  content  with  the  measure  of  enjoyment 
which  God  designs  for  him,  reflecting  how  soon  he  must  pass 
away  and  have  no  more  cognizance  of  what  this  world  shall 
be  after  he  has  gone. The  chapter  presents  some  real  difficul- 

ties, and  has  been  interpreted  variously  by  very  able  critics.  I 
give  the  construction  which  seems  to  me  to  accord  best  with  the 
sense  of  the  words  and  with  the  general  scope  of  the  book.  It 
does  not  become  me  to  speak  severely  of  the  views  of  others 
which  I reject,  or  dogmatically  of  my  own. 

1.  To  every  thing  there  is  a season,  and  a time  to  every 
purpose  under  the  heaven : 

2.  A time  to  be  born,  and  a time  to  die  ; a time  to  plant, 
and  a time  to  pluck  up  that  which  is  planted ; 

3.  A time  to  kill,  and  a time  to  heal;  a time  to  break 
down,  and  a time  to  build  up ; 

4.  A time  to  weep,  and  a time  to  laugh ; a time  to  mourn, 
and  a time  to  dance ; 

5.  A time  to  cast  away  stones,  and  a time  to  gather  stones 
together ; a time  to  embrace,  and  a time  to  refrain  from 
embracing ; 

6.  A time  to  get,  and  a time  to  lose ; a time  to  keep,  and 
a time  to  cast  away  ; 

7.  A time  to  rend,  and  a time  to  sew  ; a time  to  keep 
silence,  and  a time  to  speak  ; 

8.  A time  to  love,  and  a time  to  hate  ; a time  of  war, 
and  a time  of  peace. 

The  sense  of  the  special  clauses  in  this  passage  is  for  the  most 
part  clear.  Every  earthly  life  has  its  beginning  and  its  close,  both 
determined  in  the  plan  of  God’s  providential  rule  of  human  affairs. 
Planting  and  plucking  up  are  to  vegetables  what  birth  and  death 
are  to  men.  So  killing  and  healing  relate  to  man  ; breaking  down 
and  building  up  to  cities  and  the  great  works  of  human  art  and 
labor.  Weeping  and  mourning  come  of  calamity;  but  laughing 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


249 


and  dancing  express  good  fortune  and  joy.  “ Casting  forth  stones  ” 
(v.  5)  was  practiced  by  an  enemy  to  injure  arable  lands  for  culti- 
vation. Thus  Israel  treated  the  best  lands  of  Moab.  God  said, 
“Ye  shall  smite  every  fenced  city  and  shall  fell  every  good  tree 
and  stop  all  wells  of  water  and  mar  every  good  piece  of  land  with 
stones.”  “And  they  beat  down  the  city,  and  on  every  good  piece 
of  land  they  cast  every  man  his  stone  and  filled  it,”  etc.  (2  Kings 
3 : 19,  25). But  after  the  special  sense  of  each  clause  is  ascer- 

tained, the  more  vital  question  still  remains:  What  is  the  bearing 
of  the  whole  passage  ? What  is  the  real  significance  of  this  list 
of  contrasted  events? First,  it  is  obviously  not  the  writer’s  ob- 
ject to  group  together  a list  of  moral  duties.  He  does  not  mean 
to  say  that  these  things  are  lawful  and  right,  while  other  things 
are  forbidden  and  ought  not  to  be  done.  He  does  not  mean  to 
say  that  it  is  right  to  dance  and  right  to  laugh  ; right  to  kill  and 
right  to  cure;  right  to  go  to  war  and  right  to  make  peace.  Nor 
does  he  mean  to  say  that  these  things,  though  sometimes  wrong, 
are  yet  right  at  certain  seasons — their  moral  right  or  wrong  turning 
upon  the  circumstances  under  which  they  are  done.  This  would 
be  more  plausible  than  the  former  supposition;  but  even  this  I 
judge  to  be  entirely  foreign  from  the  author’s  meaning,  and  quite 
useless  for  moral  instruction  without  some  light  upon  the  circum- 
stances which  are  to  make  these  various  things  right  or  wrong. 

Affirmatively,  I understand  him  to  say  simply  that  this  world  is 
so  governed  providentially  under  God’s  hand  that  these  unlike 
events  are  in  fact  constantly  occurring  and  have  their  place  in  the 
completed  history  of  human  affairs.  They  actually  occur  in  the 
routine  of  human  life,  yet  are  thought  of  here  rather  in  their  re- 
lation to  the  agency  and  purpose  of  God  in  them  than  as  related 
to  the  moral  agency  of  man.  In  the  divine  ordering  of  human 
affairs  there  is  perpetual  doing  and  undoing.  Life  is  full  of 
changes  and  even  reverses.  A man  is  rich  to-day  and  poor  to- 
morrow ; in  health  to-day,  in  sickness  and  death  to-morrow ; now 
in  peace,  anon  in  war;  now  joyful  in  prosperity,  soon  mourning 
in  bitter  adversity.  And  these  extreme  changes  in  the  mortal  lot 
of  mankind  come  of  the  purposes  and  ways  of  God’s  providence 
in  his  moral  discipline  of  our  race.  He  breaks  up  the  smooth 
and  even  tenor  of  man’s  earthly  life  for  the  sake  of  turning  his 
eye  upward  to  the  overruling  hand  that  shapes  all.  This  is  indi- 
cated particularly  in  v.  14,  “ God  doeth  it  that  men  should  fear 

before  him.” As  intimated  already,  these  frequent  changes, 

coming  in  a way  that  baffles  and  defies  the  best  foresight  of  men, 
have  a most  vital  bearing  on  the  pursuit  of  human  happiness — 
especially  on  that  pleasure-seeking  pursuit  which  makes  earthly 
good  its  supreme  and  sole  end.  How  vain  it  must  be  for  man  to 
toil  thus  intensely  to  do  when  God’s  order  of  things  in  this  world 
involves  so  much  perpetual  undoing  ? 

9.  What  profit  hath  he  that  worketh  in  that  wherein  he 
laboreth  ? 


250 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


10.  I have  seen  the  travail,  which  God  nath  given  to 
the  sons  of  men  to  be  exercised  in  it. 

These  two  verses  give  in  part  the  author’s  moral  application  of 
vs.  1-8,  as  above  explained.  What  profit  can  the  worker  have, 
however  long  and  hard  his  toil,  in  a world  where  such  reverses 
are  the  common  law  of  human  life.  How  easily  can  an  adverse 
providence  undo  all  that  his  toilsome  life  has  done  ! 

11.  He  hath  made  every  thing  beautiful  in  his  time: 
also  he  hath  set  the  world  in  their  heart,  so  that  no  man 
can  find  out  the  work  that  God  maketh  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end. 

The  first  clause  is  plain,  referring,  however,  not  to  God’s  works 
of  creation,  but  rather  to  his  works  in  providence,  the  same  which 
are  sketched  in  vs.  1-8,  and  therefore  is  better  rendered  done  than 
“ made.”  In  this  endless  shifting  of  human  scenes,  God  has 
always  done  every  thing  well  in  its  time — this  word  “time”  here 
looking  back  to  its  use  in  vs.  1-8.  Working  with  the  noblest  ends 
and  guiding  his  work  with  infinite  wisdom,  he  evermore  doeth  all 
things  beautifully,  yea,  infinitely  well. The  second  clause  de- 

mands our  special  attention.  Critics  have  explained  it  variously. 
The  translators  of  the  English  version  seem  to  have  understood  it 
to  say  that  though  God  had  made  all  things  so  beautifully,  yet  he 
had  put  such  love  of  the  world  into  the  hearts  of  men  that  they 
can  not  find  out  his  works  thoroughly  in  all  their  relations  and 
bearings.  But  this  sense  is  too  revolting  to  be  accepted.  We 
must  not  attribute  man’s  love  of  the  world  to  God  as  if  it  were  his 
gift  to  man — much  less  still  as  given  for  such  a purpose , viz. : that 
man  might  not  be  able  to  understand  God’s  works  thoroughly. 
Fortunately  there  is  not  the  least  occasion  to  give  the  words  a 

sense  so  repugnant  to  both  Scripture  and  reason. It  may  interest 

the  reader  to  see  some  of  the  various  constructions  given  to  this 

passage. The  writer  on  Ecclesiastes  in  Smith’s  Bible  Dictionary 

gives  the  doctrine  of  the  verse  thus:  “The  heart  of  man  with  its 
changes  is  the  mirror  of  the  universe,  and  is,  like  that,  inscrutable.” 
Bosenmueller  translates  it : “ He  hath  done  all  things  beautifully, 
each  in  its  own  time,  and  although  he  hath  implanted  in  their 
mind  a sense  of  eternity,  yet  they  do  not  attain  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  whole  work  of  God  from  the  beginning  even  to  the  end.” 
Hengstenberg  thus  : “He  maketh  every  thing  beautiful  in  his  time  ; 
eternity  also  hath  he  put  in  their  heart  so  that  no  man  can  find 
out  the  work  that  God  maketh  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.” 
Prof.  Stuart  thus : “ Every  thing  hath  he  made  beautiful  in  its 
season ; moreover,  he  hath  put  intelligence  in  their  heart  without 
which  no  man  can  find  out  the  work  that  God  doeth  from  begin- 
ning to  end.”  Prof.  S.  changes  the  text  in  the  case  of  the  word 
rendered  in  the  English  version  the  “ world,”  but  by  Rosenmuellei 


ECCLESIASTES'— CHAP.  III. 


251 


and  Hengstenberg  “eternity.”  Such  a change  should  in  my  judg- 
ment never  be  made,  except  under  an  imperative  necessity  and  on 
some  adequate  authority,  neither  of  which  exist  here.  Besides,  it 
is  very  tame  and  inept  to  say  that  without  intelligence  [the  intel- 
lectual faculty]  no  man  can  understand  “ the  whole  work  of  God 
from  beginning  to  end."  There  is  not  the  least  occasion  to  state  so 
specially  and  emphatically  that  man  can  not  know  every  thing  about 
God  without  intelligence,  when  obviously  he  could  not  begin  to 
understand  the  first  and  simplest  thing  about  God  without  an 
intellectual  faculty,  i.  e.,  without  the  power  of  knowing  something. 

The  test  words  in  the  passage  are  two:  that  which  is  translated 
in  our  English  version,  “the  world,”  and  by  others  “eternity;” 
and  the  particles  which  follow  it,  rendered  “so  that,”  or  “without 
which.”  1 translate,  “God  hath  done  [and  is  ever  doing]  every 
thing  beautifully  in  its  season;  also  he  hath  put  eternity  in  their 
heart  without  which  man  will  not  [or  can  not]  find  out  the  work 
that  God  doeth  from  beginning  to  end.”  That  is,  he  hath  given 
man  the  thought  or  idea  of  eternity,  and  without  its  aid  no  man 
could  ever  understand  these  works  of  God  in  providence  in  all 
their  just  and  far  reaching  relations.  For,  these  providential 
agencies  of  God  in  their  plans  and  results,  reach  onward  into 
eternity.  They  lap  over  from  this  world  into  the  next,  unfinished 
here,  to  be  completed  there.  Retribution  for  the  deeds  of  earth, 
beginning  sometimes  here,  is  to  be  finished  there.  The  frustration 
of  human  plans  for  time  has  an  outlook  to  the  hopeful  compensa- 
tions of  eternity.  “These  light  afflictions  which  are  but  for  a mo- 
ment work  out  for  us  a far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory,”  and  therefore  are  wise  in  God’s  plan  and  well  for  his  chil- 
dren. Hence  there  is  no  understanding  the  ways  of  God  here  save 
as  you  take  into  the  account  their  bearings  upon  the  destiny  that 

awaits  men  there. This  doctrine  all  must  admit  to  be  true,  and 

its  significance  in  this  connection  most  admirable ; but  the  ques- 
tions will  arise,  Is  it  not  too  good  to  fit  the  times  and  the  pen  of 
Solomon  ? Postponing  this  question  to  a later  stage  of  this  discus- 
sion, I ask,  Is  this  the  legitimate  and  precise  sense  of  his  words  ? 

I think  so  most  decidedly. As  already  suggested,  the  first  test 

word  is  the  somewhat  common  one  in  Hebrew,  rendered  the 
“world,”  or  “eternity”  [olam].  In  the  sense  of  world  this  word 
occurs  nowhere  in  the  Old  Testament.  On  this  point  the  best 
critics  seem  now  to  be  agreed.  But  in  the  sense  of  eternity , i.  e ., 
long  indefinite  time,  it  occurs  very  frequently,  and  in  this  book  of 
Ecclesiastes  five  times:  viz. : chap.  1 : 4 and  2:  16  and  3 : 14  and 

9 : 6 and  12  : 5.  Such  testimony  to  this  point  ought  to  suffice. 

The  next  words  would  read  literally : “ From  [or  because  of]  the 
absence  or  non-existence  of  which,  man  will  not  find  out,  etc.,  the 
plain  sense  of  which  is  without  which ; i.  e.,  on  the  supposition  that 
man  had  not  this  idea  of  eternity,  he  would  not,  or  could  not,  find 
out  the  work  that  God  doeth,  here  in  his  providence,  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  This  is  the  first  and  most  obvious  sense  of  the  origi- 
nal words. Let  it  be  added  moreover  that  all  the  other  words 


252 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


in  this  passage  conspire  to  sustain  this  interpretation.  The  first 
• word  “ also,”  implies  something  more  of  the  same  sort.  This  cor- 
responds with  the  construction  which  I suggest.  God  hath  done 
two  things  of  kindred  bearing  and  significance,  viz. : (1.)  He 
hath  done  every  thing  in  his  providence  most  beautifully  and  fitly 
in  its  time;  (2.)  He  hath  also  put  in  man’s  heart  the  idea  of  eter- 
nity, without  which  man  could  not  find  out  either  the  wisdom  or 
the  love  of  these  works  of  God’s  providence  from  beginning  to  end 
— another  gift  to  man  quite  analogous  to  the  former  gift  of  a well- 
ordered  course  of  providence.  First,  to  ordain  a course  of  provi- 
dential dealings  wisely;  and,  secondly,  to  give  man  the  idea  of 
eternity  so  that  he  can  understand  what  would  otherwise  seem  to 
him  inexplicable  and  perhaps  unjust — these  two  things  comple- 
ment each  other  and  fill  out  the  plan  of  God  for  revealing  himself 

and  his  ways  to  men. It  might  be  added  that  the  Hebrew  word 

rendered  “set”  (“set  the  world,  etc.,”)  is  in  Hebrew  give;  the 
same  verb  from  which  the  writer  takes  the  noun  “gift” — “it  is 
the  gift  of  God.”  (See  below  v.  13  and  chap.  5:  19.)  He  must, 
therefore,  have  thought  of  it  as  a blessing,  and  not  a thing  put 
into  their  heart  to  forestall  their  knowledge  of  his  ways  and  to 

render  it  impossible. Further,  the  words  rendered  in  the  Eng 

lish  version  “so  that,”  and  which  express  the  relation  between 
God’s  giving  man  the  idea  of  eternity  and  man’s  not  finding  out 
God’s  works  perfectly,  have  for  their  first  and  legitimate  sense, 
without  which.  That  is,  without  this  idea  of  eternity,  man  neither 
will  nor  can  find  out  God’s  work  fully.  To  render  this  (with 
Hengstenberg  and  the  English  version)  “ so  that,”  imputes  to  God 
the  design  of  making  his  ways  unintelligible  to  man — a design 
squarely  opposed  to  every  thing  we  know  of  God  through  his  works 
and  his  word — not  to  say  also  to  the  very  fact  that  he  reveals 
himself  in  a written  revelation  at  all.  For  why  has  he  done  this 
if  indeed  it  be  his  purpose  not  to  let  us  understand  his  ways  and 

works  ? Moreover,  to  render  this  connecting  particle  with 

Kosenmueller : “ Although  God  has  given  man  the  idea  of  eternity, 
yet  he  does  not  fully  understand  God,”  is  to  force  a sense  upon  the 
passage,  and  not  to  find  a sense  in  it,  or  to  bring  a sense  out  of 
it.  For  in  the  words  which  the  author  uses  there  is  nothing  to 

justify  this  sense. Finally,  the  construction  above  suggested 

and  defended  corresponds  admirably  with  the  qualifying  clause, 
“find  out  the  work  that  God  doeth  from  the  beginning  to  the  end." 
For,  without  the  idea  of  eternity,  man  might  find  out  some  of 
God’s  works  and  ways,  at  least  in  some  of  their  bearings  and 
relations.  But  those  methods  of  God’s  providential  government 
over  men  which  embrace  the  moral  discipline  of  suffering  here, 
correlated  to  glorious  compensation  there;  or  his  long-suffering 
endurance  with  sin  here,  to  be  set  right  at  last  by  swift  and  just 
retribution  there,  can  by  no  means  be  understood  by  the  human 
mind  save  with  the  aid  of  this  idea  of  eternity.  Whenever  we 
take  in  the  whole  range  of  those  far-reaching  plans  of  God  which 
stretch  “ from  the  beginning  to  the  end,”  we  must  have  eternity  is 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


253 


our  hearts;  and  hence  he  has  given  it. Thus  every  several 

point;  I might  say,  every  word  of  this  passage,  harmonizes  admir- 
ably with  the  construction  above  given,  leaving,  it  would  seem, 

nothing  more  in  the  way  of  sustaining  proof  to  be  desired. 

More  than  two  years  after  the  above  was  written,  I had  oppor- 
tunity to  examine  the  commentaries  of  McDonald  ( J.  M.  McDonald 
of  Princeton,  N.  J.)  and  of  Wordsworth  (Arch-deacon  of  West- 
minster). The  former  translates  as  1 have  done ; the  latter  thus : 
“He  hath  set  eternity  in  their  heart  so  that  man  can  not  find  out 

the  works  of  God  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.” McDonald 

alone  of  all  the  critics  that  have  fallen  under  my  eye  has  given 
what  I regard  as  the  true  sense  of  the  passage. 

12.  I know  that  there  is  no  good  in  them,  but  for  a man 
to  rejoice,  and  to  do  good  in  his  life. 

13.  And  also  that  every  man  should  eat  am*  drink,  and 
enjoy  the  good  of  all  his  labor,  it  is  the  gift  of  God. 

By  general  consent  of  critics,  the  word  translated  “ in  them,” 
means,  /or  mm,  i.  e .,  “in”  has  the  sense  of  for  and  “them”  re- 
fers to  men.  “ There  is  no  good  for  the  race  of  men  in  this 

world  but  to  rejoice,”  etc. The  question  has  been  raised 

whether  “ to  do  good  ” (last  clause  of  v.  12)  means  precisely  doing 
good  to  others,  or  getting  good  to  one’s  self.  Prof.  Stuart  pleads 
for  the  latter,  citing  in  its  support  the  supposed  parallel  passages 
in  this  author  (2:  24  and  3:  22  and  5:  17  and  8:  15  and  9:  7), 
in  none  of  which  however  do  we  find  the  same  words,  “doing 
good.”  Better  is  the  sense  given  by  Gesenius,  viz.,  doing  right; 
living  uprightly  and  well,  according  to  the  laws  of  one’s  being 
and  relations  to  God  and  men.  This  is  obviously  the  meaning 
of  these  identical  words  in  Ps.  34:  15 — “Depart  from  evil  and 
do  good;”  and  in  Ps.  37 : 3 : “Trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good)” 
and  in  Isa.  38:  3:  “Bemember,  O Lord,  how  I have  walked  be- 
fore thee  in  truth  and  with  a perfect  heart  and  have  done  good  in 
thy  sight.” He  who  does  good  in  this  sense  subserves  the  hap- 

piness of  both  others  and  himself.  And  beyond  all  question  this 
is  a just  view  of  what  human  life  should  be — a life  joyful,  tran- 
quil, right-doing. V.  13  recognizes  the  fact  that  God  has  pro- 

vided for  us  sources  of  physical  enjoyment  in  our  daily  bread, 
and  in  the  consciousness  of  power  and  success  in  producing  desired 
results.  These  are  gifts  of  God  to  men.  An  infinite  Father  to 
us,  he  delights  to  see  his  children  enjoying  his  bounty,  and  with 
numble  acknowledgment  and  grateful  love,  exercising  the  powers 
of  labor  and  acquisition  wdiich  he  has  bestowed.  A just  sense  of 
our  relations  and  obligations  to  God  will  guard  us  against  the  gross 
and  grievous  mistake  of  living  to  eat  and  drink,  and  thus  of  eat- 
ing and  drinking  so  as  to  debase  ourselves  even  below  irrational 
animals.  Hence  while  commending  the  moderate  enjoyments  of 
our  constitutional  appetites,  Solomon  continually  suggests  the 
thought  that  these  enjoyments  come  to  us  from  God,  our  Great 


254 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


Father,  and  are  the  fruits  of  his  divine  economy  in  the  creation  of 
man. 

14.  I know  that,  whatsoever  God  doeth,  it  shall  be  for- 
ever; nothing  can  be  put  to  it,  nor  any  thing  taken  from 
it ; and  God  doeth  it,  that  men  should  fear  before  him. 

Here  also,  as  throughout  the  previous  part  of  this  chapter, 
“ whatsoever  God  doeth  ’ looks  to  his  works  and  ways  in  his 
providential  government  of  our  world.  In  all  these,  his  great 
principles  and  plans  are  changeless,  and  especially  are  they  su- 
preme and  sovereign  in  the  sense  of  being  beyond  the  reach  and 
control  of  mortals.  And  God  rules  thus  with  supreme  authority 
and  with  a wisdom  all  his  own  and  a steadfastness  of  purpose 
that  no  created  being  can  change,  in  order  that  men  may  fear  be- 
fore him.  Such  glorious  majesty  and  such  immutability  in  wis- 
dom, justice,  and  love,  become  the  infinite  throne  of  the  universe. 
It  is  altogether  well  that  the  universe  has  such  a Father — such  a 
Ruler — such  a God! 

15.  That  which  has  been  is  now;  and  that  which  is  to 
be  hath  already  been  ; and  God  requireth  that  which  is 
past. 

This  verse  expands  the  thought  that  God’s  plans  of  governing 

the  world  and  shaping  its  events  remain  forever  the  same. 

The  first  clause  might  be  rendered  more  closely — “ That  which  is 
now  was  also  long  ago,  and  that  which  is  to  be  was  also  long 
since;”  i.  e .,  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun.  What  we  see 
to-day  and  what  generations  to  come  are  yet  to  see,  has  been  oc- 

curing  through  all  past  ages. “God  requireth  that  which  is 

past,”  seems  to  mean  that  he  calls  it  forth  again  to  reproduce  it — 
to  give  it  another  and  yet  another  place  in  the  successive  scenes 
of  earth.  He  is  perpetually  reenacting  the  events  of  the  past, 
not  indeed  in  their  precise  external  forms,  but  in  their  essential 
principles  and  purposes. 

16.  And  moreover  I saw  under  the  sun  the  place  of 
judgment,  that  wickedness  was  there ; and  the  place  of 
righteousness,  that  iniquity  was  there. 

While  God’s  providential  government  of  this  world  is  perfect, 
man’s  administration  of  civil  government  has  often  been  fearfully 
imperfect.  Every  broad  and  comprehensive  view  of  human  his- 
tory takes  in  some  illustrations  of  this  sad  fact.  Whoever  looks 
carefully  into  the  place  where  just  judgment  should  be  will  find  that 
wickedness  is  there.  The  very  men  whom  God  has  clothed  with 
die  power  and  the  functions  requisite  for  the  authoritative  adminis- 
tration of  justice  are  lending  themselves  to  the  most  shameful 
injustice,  “ framing  iniquity  by  law,”  or,  as  the  case  may  be,  sub- 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


255 


verting  good  laws  under  corrupting  influences  and  for  bad  ends. 
The  world  has  always  been  full  of  this.  Solomon  saw  it  in  all 
those  adjacent  countries  with  which  his  political  and  commercial 
relations  had  made  him  acquainted.  This  fact  sustains  exceed- 
ingly important  relations  to  God’s  moral  government  over  men, 
and  therefore  is  by  no  means  foreign  to  the  general  scope  of  this 
chapter. 

17.  I said  in  mine  heart,  God  shall  judge  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked  : for  there  is  a time  there  for  every  purpose 
and  for  every  work. 

When  I saw  this  shocking  injustice  perpetrated  by  the  very 
men  whom  God  had  made  specially  responsible  for  the  protection 
of  the  defenseless  and  for  the  administration  of  justice,  I said, 
God  will  surely  set  this  matter  right  on  the  score  of  justice.  He 
will  judge  both  those  righteous  sufferers  and  their  wicked  oppres- 
sors.  It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  this  passage,  like  the 

last  verses  of  the  book,  refer  in  part  at  least  to  the  final  and  uni- 
versal judgment. If  we  follow  the  Hebrew  text  and  read,  aa 

time  there"  we  must  understand  the  word  “there”  to  be  a tacit 
allusion  to  the  final  judgment  scene  as  to  a great  fact  familiar  to 
the  writer’s  mind,  and  therefore  not  requiring  a more  specific 
description.  Prof.  Stuart  prefers  a very  slight  change  in  a single 
letter  by  which  the  word  becomes  a verb  with  the  sense,  appoint ; 
thus,  “ Because  a time  for  every  purpose  and  for  every  work  he 
hath  appointed;”  i.  e.}  a time  to  judge  every  purpose  and  work. 
But  without  greater  necessity  for  it,  it  can  not  be  wise  to  change 
the  original  text. 

18.  I said  in  mine  heart  concerning  the  estate  of  the 
sons  of  men,  that  God  might  manifest  them,  and  that  they 
might  see  that  they  themselves  are  beasts. 

It  is  difficult  to  trace  the  course  of  thought  here.  I suggest 
the  following  as  best  meeting  the  demands  of  the  context  and  the 
sense  of  the  words  used,  and  paraphrase  thus : “ I said  in  my 
heart  (a  further  reflection  upon  the  fact  brought  out  in  vs.  16,  17) 
it  is  because  of  the  sons  of  men — for  their  sake — that  God  may 
prove  them  and  that  they  may  see  that  in  themselves  they  are 

morally  brutish,  acting  like  the  beasts.” The  received  version 

leaves  the  sense  suspended  and  incomplete.  What  that  is  which 
is  done  in  order  “ that  God  might  manifest  them,”  is  not  said. 
This  thought  needs  to  be  supplied.  I assume  that  it  must  be 
found  in  v.  16,  viz.,  in  the  fearful  and  horrible  wickedness  of  civil 
rulers.  God  suffers  this  to  develop  itself  in  order  to  reveal  the 
awful  depravity  of  the  race  and  to  show  men  that  they  are 
worse  than  brutish  morally  in  this  horrid  perversion  of  the 
functions  of  civil  authority  which  are  entrusted  to  them*  for 
the  ends  of  justice,  and  which  they  abuse  to  purposes  of  most 


256 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


flagrant  injustice.  God  made  man  with  exalted  mental  and  moral 
powers;  but  alas!  how  has  he  fallen!  God  clothed  him  with  the 
responsible  functions  of  civil  government  over  his  fellows;  alas, 
that  he  should  have  abused  them  so  outrageously ! In  view  of 
such  a moral  fall,  it  is  only  fitting  that  mortality  and  death  should 
be  the  earthly  destiny  of  all  the  race.  Since  man  will  debase  his 
soul  to  the  state  of  a beast  intellectually  and  morally,  why  should 
not  God  doom  his  body  to  the  destiny  of  a beast  physically  ? 

19.  For  that  which  befalleth  the  sons  of  men  befalleth 
beasts;  even  one  thing  befalleth  them:  as  the  one  dietli, 
so  dieth  the  other ; yea,  they  have  all  one  breath ; so  that 
a man  hath  no  pre-eminence  above  a beast : for  all  is 
vanity. 

20.  All  go  unto  one  place;  all  are  of  the  dust,  and  all 
turn  to  dust  again. 

The  word  “for”  assumes  that  it  is  even  so.  One  common  law 
of  physical  mortality  reigns  over  both  man  and  beast.  Each  alike 
receive  their  bodies  from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  give  them 
back  to  their  mother  earth.  Considered  closely  with  reference  to 
this  part  of  our  being,  man  has  no  preeminence  above  a beast. 
This  close  construction  is  obviously  demanded  by  the  course  of 
thought; — ‘‘all  go  to  one  place” — the  earth;  all  are  made  of  dust 
and  all  return  to  it  again.  This  must  refer  to  the  body  only. 

21.  Who  knoweth  the  spirit  of  man. that  goeth  upward, 
and  the  spirit  of  the  beast  that  goeth  downward  to  the 
earth  ? 

This  passage  does  not  deny  but  on  the  contrary  affirms  that  the 
spirit  of  man  goes  upward  to  God  who  gave  it,  while  the  spirit 
of  beasts  goes  downward  to  the  earth,  becoming  (as  the  passage 
seems  to  imply)  extinct  with  the  dissolution  of  the  body.  But  in 
the  words  “ Who  knoweth?”  the  writer  assumes  that  many  things 
respecting  the  spirit  of  man  and  the  spirit  of  beasts  were  yet  un- 
known. The  subject  lies  beyond  the  range  of  our  personal  expe- 
rience while  yet  we  remain  in  this  mortal  state.  There  are  more 
things  to  be  known  in  respect  to  the  “going  up”  of  the  one  and 
the  “going  down”  of  the  other  than  any  human  mind  has  yet 
attained.  Hence  the  fitness  of  the  language,  “Who  knoweth?” 
With  the  same  words,  the  Psalmist  (Ps.  90:  11)  asks;  “Who 
knoweth  the  power  of  thine  anger?”  How  can  mortals  ade- 
quately appreciate  its  power  and  its  effects? A somewhat  dif- 

ferent construction  with  a widely  diverse  sense  is  given  by  Profi 
Stuart,  thus; — “Who  knoweth  the*  spirit  of  the  sons  of  men 
whether  it  ascendeth  upward,  and  the  spirit  of  beasts  whether  it 
descendeth  downward  to  the  earth?”  He  supposes  the  author  to 
have  had  before  him  the  idea  of  the  future  existence  of  the  soul, 
but  at  this  time,  to  have  been  doubtful  as  to  the  truth  of  it.  He 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  III. 


257 


finds  support  for  this  construction  in  the  ancient  versions,  the 
Septuagint,  Vulgate,  Syriac,  and  Arabic,  and  has  with  him  all  the 
Neological  critics,  for  they  have  a permanent  propensity  to  deny 
to  the  writers  of  the  Old  Testament  all  knowledge  of  a future 

state. The  reply  to  Prof.  Stuart  is  that  the  Hebrew  punctuation 

is  against  him,  and  that  the  sentiment  expressed  in  his  construc- 
tion conflicts  with  the  author’s  views  elsewhere  given,  and  no  less 
with  the  doctrine  of  man’s  creation  and  destiny  as  given  in  Gen- 
esis, viz.,  that  the  body,  taken  from  the  dust,  returns  to  dust  again 
to  meet  its  destiny  of  dissolution ; but  the  spirit,  being  the  breath 
of  God,  (Gen.  2:7)  returns  to  God,  its  author,  to  meet  its  destiny 
of  moral  retribution.  It  seems  plain  that  the  ancient  people  of 
God  had  from  the  first  (and  never  lost)  this  general  idea,  that  the 
souls  of  the  good  at  death  return  to  God  to  dwell  in  his  presence 
with  all  who  have  gone  before  in  purity  and  blessedness.  See  Ps. 
17:  15  and  16:  11  and  73  : 24,  25  and  Gen.  15:  15  and  25:  8 
and  49 : 29,  33  and  37 : 35,  which  last  passage  shows  that  this 
being  gathered  to  one’s  people  was  not  merely  the  burial  of  the 
body  in  a common  grave.*  Inasmuch  as  this  is  the  obvious  and 
usual  sense  of  Solomon’s  words  in  this  passage,  and  inasmuch  as 
he  certainly  avows  this  sentiment  in  his  last  chapter,  it  must  be 
reasonable  to  assume  that  this  is  his  meaning  here ; and  very  un- 
reasonable to  make  him  contradict  himself  by  forcing  a sense 
upon  his  words  against  which  they  rebel. 

22.  Wherefore  I perceive  that  there  is  nothing  better, 
than  that  a man  should  rejoice  in  his  own  works;  for  that 
is  liis  portion : for  who  shall  bring  him  to  see  what  shall 
be  after  him? 

Here  we  have  the  sentiments  of  vs.  12,  13  repeated  and  still 
enforced  by  the  inferences  drawn  from  the  brevity  of  human  life 


* It  may  be  due  to  Prof.  Stuart  to  say  that  both  in  this  case  and  in 
many  others  he  finds  skeptical  sentiments  expressed  in  this  book  and 
accounts  for  them  in  two  ways,  viz.,  as  suggested  by  a supposed  objector 
and  then  answered  by  the  author;  or  as  the  earlier  views  of  the  author, 
but  corrected  subsequently  by  his  better  heart  and  consequent  better  light. 
The  difficulty  with  these  suppositions  is  that  the  author  gives  no  hint 
of  the  presence  of  a supposed  objector,  dist  inct  from  himself,  and  no  hint 
of  any  subsequent  change  in  his  own  views.  He  does  not  say,  I thought 
wrong  in  chap.  3,  but  give  my  corrected  views  in  chap.  12.  This  fact 
should  have  weight,  and  yet,  if  the  book  seems  to  require  to  be  con- 
strued as  a “confession  ” in  the  broad  sense  of  a recital  of  personal 
experiences  and  of  the  varying  phases  of  his  views  on  moral  questions, 
then  a diversity  of  views  between  one  part  of  the  book  and  another 
may  be  admitted,  even  although  the  writer  makes  no  special  allusion 

to  such  change. On  another  point  Prof.  Stuart  leaves  us  quite  in  the 

dark.  Holding  as  he  does  that  the  author  of  the  book  is  not  Solomon 
himself  but  some  nameless  and  unknown  writer  after  the  captivity, 
he  fails  to  tell  us  whether  these  skeptical  views  were  given  by  the  au- 
thor as  being  Solomon’s  or  his  own.  Perhaps  it  did  not  occur  to  him 
that  the  theory  of  a forged  authorship  for  a book  of  confessions— a de- 
tail of  heart-thoughts  and  experiences— must  labor  heavily.  It  is  utterly 
against  nature.  Who  else  ever  attempted  to  write  out  a heart-history  for 
another  man,  five  hundred  years  dead,  with  no  autobiographical  help 
at  hand  ? 


258 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IV. 


and  from  the  fact  that  at  death  man  passes  away  forever  from 
the  scenes  of  earth. “What  shall  be  after  him”  obviously  re- 

fers to  this  world  after  he  has  left  it,  and  not  to  the  next  after  he 
shall  have  entered  it.  The  things  he  can  not  know  are  not  his 
future  destiny  in  the  world  to  come,  but  rather  the  destiny  of  what 
he  leaves  behind  him  as  the  fruit  of  all  his  toil  in  this  world.  The 
parallel  passage  (6:  12)  has  it,  “For  who  can  tell  a man  what 

shall  be  after  him  under  the  sunV ’ The  conclusions  to  which 

the  author  arrives  at  the  various  stages  of  his  argument  show 
clearly  that  a secondary  point,  subordinate  to  his  main  theme— the 
vanity  of  earthly  pleasure — was  the  real  good  which  God  does  give 
man  to  enjoy  in  this  mortal  state.  Remarkably  he  carries  along  these 
two  great  themes — how  to  abuse  the  world  and  make  it  a worthless 
vanity,  and  how  to  use  it  so  as  to  get  its  real  good  most  effectively. 


oo'^( 


CHAPTER  IY. 

Here  are  illustrative  cases  of  failure  in  the  pursuit  of  earthly 
good : the  oppressed  (vs.  1-3) ; the  successful  but  envied  man  (v. 
4) ; the  fool  (v.  5) ; the  man  of  great  toil  and  anxiety  (v.  6) ; the 
miserly  and  solitary  (vs.  7-12) ; kings  on  unstable  thrones,  whether 
old  and  foolish,  or  young,  popular  and  then  unpopular  (vs.  13-16). 

1.  So  I returned  and  considered  all  the  oppressions  that 
are  done  under  the  sun : and  behold  the  tears  of  such  as 
were  oppressed,  and  they  had  no  comforter ; and  on  the 
side  of  their  oppressors  there  was  power ; but  they  had  no 
comforter. 

For  the  most  part,  Solomon,  in  this  book,  contemplates  and  ad- 
dreses  the  rich  and  the  noble  who  have  high  aspirations  for  worldly 
pleasure,  and  large  means  (to  human  view)  for  attaining  it.  But  these 
verses  form  an  exception,  in  part,  i.  e.,  they  speak  of  and  contemplate 
the  poor,  yet  are  addressed , for  aught  that  appears,  to  those  in  high 
life.  These  oppressed  ones  are  not  princes,  but  subjects;  are  not 
men  of  wealth,  but  men  of  poverty.  Any  just  view  of  human  life  as 
a whole  must  include  the  masses — those  millions  in  almost  every  age 
and  every  country  who  have  been  wretchedly  misgoverned  and  griev- 
ously oppressed.  Solomon  saw  these  masses  in  all  the  outlying 
countries  with  which  his  political  and  commercial  relations  brought 
him  into  contact.  There  is  not  the  least  occasion  therefore  to  in- 
fer from  these  allusions  to  oppression,  that,  since  there  was  no  such 
oppression  among  his  people  during  his  reign,  therefore  this  book 
must  have  been  written  after  the  captivity,  when  the  Jews  were 
somewhat  subject  to  a foreign  power.  For  the  writer  gives  nc 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IV. 


259 


hint  that  these  oppressions  were  among  his  own  people,  the  Jews. 

These  allusions  to  the  oppressed  are  beautifully  appropriate 

and  touching — every  way  worthy  of  the  heart  of  Solomon  in  his 
better  days.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  in  his  most  apostate  days,  he 
lost  somewhat  this  tender  regard  for  the  tears  of  the  oppressed, 
and  took  little  heed  of  his  own  exactions  upon  his  people  and  of 
the  grievances  under  which  they  suffered, 

2.  Wherefore  I praised  the  dead  which  are  already  dead, 
more  than  the  living  which  are  yet  alive. ' 

3.  Yea,  better  is  lie  than  both  they,  which  hath  not  yet 
been,  who  hath  not  seen  the  evil  work  that  is  done  under 
the  sun. 

The  second  verse  commends  the  state  of  the  dead  as  better  than 
that  of  the  living  who  are  suffering  under  grievous  oppression. 
In  v.  3 the  italicised  words — u is  he  ” — are  so  located  as  to  darken 
the  real  sense,  which  is — yea,  better  than  both  (i.  e .,  both  those 
who  live  under  oppression,  and  the  dead),  is  he  who  is  yet  unborn, 
who  has  as  yet  had  no  sense  of  the  evil  that  is  done  under  the  sun; 
It  should  have  been  arranged  thus:  Yea,  better  than  both  is  he 
that  hath  not  yet  been  born,  etc.  Of  the  three  classes,  the  living, 
the  dead,  and  the  yet  unborn — the  condition  of  the  latter  is  adjudged 
the  best. 

4.  Again,  I considered  all  travail,  and  every  right  work, 
that  for  this  a man  is  envied  of  his  neighbor.  This  is  also 
vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

This  is  the  case  of  the  successful  man  of  business.  The  phrase, 
translated,  u right  work,”  should  rather  have  been  successful  work , 
managed  skilfully  and  accompanied  with  good  fortune  so  as  to 
ensure  the  best  results.  For  this  a man  is  envied  of  his  neighbor. 
And  this  envy  detracts  very  seriously  from  the  enjoyment  of  good 
fortune  and  success.  It  brought  Solomon  to  the  conclusion;  This, 
too,  makes  wealth  a vanity  and  a vexation  of  spirit. 

5.  The  fool  foldeth  his  hands  together,  and  eateth  his 
own  flesh. 

Over  against  the  wise  manager  and  successful  worker  stands  the 
fool  who  manages  badly  and  lives  indolently.  He  eats  up  his 
estate  and  starves  himself.  Passages  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs 
show  that  Solomon  had  neither  respect,  sympathy,  nor  pity  for 
this  class  of  men.  (See  Prov.  6:  9-11  and  24:  30-34.) 

6.  Better  is  a handful  with  quietness,  than  both  the 
hands  full  with  travail  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

Better  is  one  hand  full,  with  quietness,  than  both  hands  full, 
with  unrest  and  vexation.  When  a man  has  too  much  for  his 
mind  to  manage  and  his  hands  to  keep  without  corroding  anxiety, 


260 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IV. 


he  has  too  much  for  his  enjoyment  and  best  good.  His  wealth 
whether  little  or  much,  becomes  a real  curse.  No  living  man  can 
afford  to  endure  such  unrest  and  vexation  for  the  sake  of  being 
rich.  Very  many  rich  men  wear  out  life  prematurely  and  deny 
themselves  almost  all  the  common  enjcyments  of  life  through  haw 
ing  both  hands  full,  with  travail  and  vexation  of  spirit.  Alas ! 
what  a comment  on  the  miseries  of  wealth  and  on  the  folly  of  its 

too  eager  pursuit! This  passage  is  remarkably  in  harmony 

with  the  scope  of  the  entire  book.  Throughout  the  author  com- 
mends the  moderate  amount  of  earthly  good  which  man  needs  and 
can  really  enjoy,  but  does  not  commend  the  abundance  and  super- 
lluity  which  goes  far  beyond  the  supply  of  all  legitimate  wants. 
This  corresponds  with  his  main  purpose  of  guarding  his  readers 
against  the  pernicious  influence  of  his  own  example  in  seeking 
worldly  pleasure  and  in  making  immense  accumulations  of  what 
men  please  to  call  worldly  good. 

7.  Then  I returned,  and  I saw  vanity  under  the  sun. 

8.  There  is  one  alone , and  there  is  not  a second ; yea,  he 
hath  neither  child  nor  brother:  yet  is  there  no  end  of  all 
his  labor ; neither  is  his  eye  satisfied  with  riches : neither 
saith  he , For  whom  do  I labor,  and  bereave  my  soul  of 
good  ? This  is  also  vanity,  yea,  it  is  a sore  travail. 

This  is  the  case  of  a miserly  recluse,  solitary  in  the  world,  with 
no  son  and  no  brother,  and,  of  course,  no  wife  or  daughter ; who 
yet  toils  excessively,  and  has  not  the  wisdom  and  the  good  sense 
to  ask  himself — For  whom  am  I wearing  out  my  life  and  denying 

myself  life’s  real  good? There  are  some  such  men  in  every  age, 

too  fearful  of  being  drawn  upon  for  others’  good  to  put  themselves 
in  any  close  relations  to  society;  content  to  deny  themselves  the 
best  solace  of  human  woe  and  the  best  comforts  of  human  life 
lest  they  be  required  to  minister  to  others’  happiness  beyond  what 
their  selfish  hearts  choose  to  bear.  It  is  but  fitting  that  their  lot 
should  be  hard.  Solomon  very  justly  accounts  it  a sore  travail. 
In  the  constitution  of  human  nature,  and  in  the  laws  of  human 
society,  our  Maker  made  no  provision  for  any  very  desirable  happi- 
ness in  such  a life.  It  is  simply  human  selfishness  outwitting 
itself,  overdoing  to  the  damage  of  its  own  interests. 

9.  Two  are  better  than  one ; because  they  have  a good 
reward  for  their  labor. 

10.  For  if  they  fall,  the  one  will  lift  up  his  fellow  : but 
wo  to  him  that  is  alone  when  he  falleth ; for  he  hath  not 
another  to  help  him  up. 

11.  Again,  if  two  lie  together,  then  they  have  heat:  but 
how  can  one  be  warm  alone  t 

12.  And  if  one  prevail  against  him,  two  shall  withstand 
him ; and  a threefold  cord  is  not  quickly  broken. 


ECCLESIASTES — CHAP.  IV. 


261 


The  case  of  the  recluse  suggests  by  contrast  these  remarks  in 
praise  of  the  closest  union  of  friendship.  It  is  not  good  for  man  to 
be  alone  in  the  journey  of  life.  Let  him  always  have  a next  friend 
at  hand  if  he  hill  to  help  him  rise — himself  meanwhile  the  next 
friend  of  his  companion  to  minister  in  like  manner  to  every  need. 
The  doctrine  of  the  passage  was  probably  intended  to  apply  to 
lawful  marriage — the  union  of  one  man  and  one  woman ; perhaps 
also  to  business  partnerships,  and -in  general  to  the  closer  intima- 
cies and  friendships  of  human  life  in  which  the  ministries  of 
affection  and  of  aid  are  mutual  and  mutually  beneficent. 

13.  Better  is  a poor  and  a wise  child,  than  an  old  and 
foolish  king,  who  will  no  more  be  admonished. 

The  remaining  verses  in  this  chapter  give  the  mutations  of  earthly 
life  as  seen  in  the  case  of  kings.  Here  also  we  may  see  that  wis- 
dom is  better  far  than  folly : wisdom  in  the  sense  of  sagacity  ; folly . 
as  manifesting  itself  in  egregious  self-conceit  and  stolid  ignorance. 

Better  is  a child,  poor  but  wise,  than  a king,  old  [and  rich 

withal]  but  foolish,  who  knows  not  to  be  any  more  enlightened ; 
i.  6 , who  is  past  being  taught — past  learning  any  thing — being  too 
wise  in  his  own  conceit  to  be  ever  really  any  wiser. 

14.  For  out  of  prison  he  cometh  to  reign ; whereas  also 
he  that  is  born  in  his  kingdom  becometh  poor. 

For  [this  poor  boy]  comes  forth,  like  Joseph  in  Egypt,  from  prison 
to  a throne,  but  even  the  one  born  to  a kingdom  becomes  impover- 
ished— i.  e.,  stripped  of  all  his  regal  honors  and  with  them  of  his 
wealth.  This  is  the  hereditary  heir  to  the  kingdom.  He  goes  down 
to  poverty,  while  the  diligent,  sagacious  young  man  rises  from  ob- 
scurity to  regal  honor. Prof.  Stuart,  less  aptly,  renders  the  last 

clause — “For  in  his  own  kingdom  he  was  born  a poor  man” — 
assuming  that  it  refers  to  the  successful  youth  and  not  to  the  de- 
throned dotard. 

15.  I considered  all  the  living  which  walk  under  the  sun, 
with  the  second  child  that  shall  stand  up  in  his  stead. 

16.  There  is  no  end  of  all  the  people,  even  of  all  that  have 
been  before  them  : they  also  that  come  after  shall  not  rejoice 
in  him.  Surely  this  also  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

The  same  case  but  in  still  changing  aspects.  “ I have  seen  all 
the  living  who  walk  beneath  the  sun  with"  [the  emphatic  word, 
meaning,  in  harmony  with,  and  following  in  his  train  as  his 
adorers]  with  this  second  son  (not  the  first-born,  legitimate  heir) 
who  comes  into  the  place  of  the  first-born,  the  lawful  heir;  stand- 
ing up  as  king  instead  of  him.  That  is,  I have  seen  the  order  of 
primogeniture  set  aside,  and  the  second  son  supersede  the  first- 
born and  ascend  the  throne  in  his  stead.  And  all  people  in  the 
wide  realm  followed  in  his  train  to  shout  their  welcome  homage. 
The  number  of  people — “all  the  living” — indicates  that  his  eye 


262 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IV. 


is  on  the  case  of  those  vast,  world-wide  empires,  Egypt  or  Assyria, 
which  at  various  periods  held  sway  over  the  greater  part  of  the 

then  known  world. V.  16  gives  the  reverse  side  of  the  picture. 

First,  there  is  no  end  to  the  masses  who  throng  his  train — even 
to  all  before  whom  he  is  an  idolized  king;  but,  mark  the  change! 
the  after-coming  ones — the  next  vast  throng — rejoice  not  in  him. 
They  shout  for  some  other  candidate ; give  their  homage  to  some  „ 
other  aspirant;  and  then  the  former,  however  popular  in  his  short 
day,  goes  down,  to  give  place  to  his  successor.  Surely  this  also  is 
vanity. — So  changeful  and  unstable  are  the  fortunes  of  kings.  So 
precarious  is  the  best  footing  on  human  thrones ! In  the  wide 
range  of  his  observation  Solomon  had  seen  the  utter  vanity 

of  the  wealth  and  honor  and  glory  of  human  kingdoms. 

Some  critics  tax  their  ingenuity  to  identify  the  particular  kings 
to  whom  they  suppose  Solomon  referred  in  this  passage.  To 
little  purpose,  however.  If  he  had  told  us  who  they  were  we 
should  know;  but  since  he  has  not,  it  avails  little  to  conjecture. 
It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  he  meant  to  restrict  his  allusion  to 
any  one  set  of  historic  facts.  The  poor  but  wise  boy  coming  out 
of  prison  to  power  all  but  regal,  corresponds  so  well  to  the  case  of 
Joseph  that  I have  ventured  to  suggest  him  as  probably  in  the 
writer  s thought.  More  than  this  is  too  purely  conjectural  to  be 
of  any  value.  Facts  of  this  kind  occur  often  enough,  and  the 
practical  lesson  is  good  without  names,  or  specially  defined  and 
historic  cases. 

Some  critics  are  entirely  positive  that  in  vs.  13-16  they  find  Jer- 
oboam, “the  poor  and  wise  child”  (v.  13)  “coming  out  of  prison 
[in  Egypt]  to  reign  (v.  14) ; “ the  second  child  followed  by  all  the 
living  (v.  15);  yet  not  rejoiced  in  by  those  that  come  after;”  (v. 
16).  Also  they  find  Solomon  himself  in  the  “old  and  foolish  king” 
(v.  13),  and  Rehoboam  in  the  one  “ born  to  a kingdom,”  yet  “ be- 
coming poor”.(v.  14). 1 have  no  taste  for  such  conjectures;  at 

best  they  bring  us  no  profit.  Considered  as  solutions  of  an  enigma, 
they  are  in  this  case  a failure ; there  are  too  many  unfitting  points : 
e.  g .,  that  Solomon  should  write  himself  “an  old  and  foolish  king, 
past  being  wiser;  that  Rehoboam  should  be  described  as  “becom- 
ing poor”  rather  than  as  half  dethroned;  that  the  words  “I  con- 
sidered” (v.  15)  need  to  be  explained  of  prophetic  vision  rather 
than  of  personal  observation — the  sense  they  always  bear  in  this 
book;  that  “all  the  living”  are  said  to  have  followed  Jeroboam 
(quite  too  strong);  that  the  words  “the  second  child”  should  need 
to  be  forced  upon  him;  and  finally  that  he  should  lose  all  favor 
with  the  people  before  his  death — never  a fact. 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  V. 


263 


CHAPTER  V. 

This  chapter  treats  miscellaneously,  of  irreverence  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God  (v.  1);  of  rash  vows  (vs.  2-7);  of  oppression  and  of 
retribution  therefor  (v.  8) ; of  riches  and  of  the  vanity  of  their  ex- 
cessive pursuit  (vs.  9-17),  and  of  the  propriety  and  wisdom  of  using 
the  good  things  of  the  world  with  moderation,  and  as  gifts  from 
God  (vs.  18-20). 

1.  Keep  thy  foot  when  thou  goest  to  the  house  of  God, 
and  be  more  ready  to  hear,  than  to  give  the  sacrifice  of 
fools : for  they  consider  not  that  they  do  evil. 

“ Keep  thy  foot,”  etc.,  enjoins  that  the  very  approach  to  the 
house  of  God  should  be  with  reverence,  even  as  the  Lord  said  to 
Moses — “ Draw  not  nigh  hither;  put  off  thy  shoes  from  off  thy  feet, 
for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy  ground”  (Ex.  3:  6). 

Draw  near  to  hear,  is  precisely  the  sense  of  the  second  clause, 

and  exhorts  the  worshipers  to  enter  the  inner  court  where  the 
priests  were  accustomed  to  read  the  law,  and  to  listen  there  to  this 
reading  as  better  than  to  remain  without,  feasting  in  a merely  sen- 
sual way  on  the  portions  of  their  slain  animals  which  in  certain 
forms  of  sacrifice  were  designated  for  this  purpose.  These  pro- 
fessed worshipers  really  acted  the  part  of  fools  in  neglecting  to 
hear  the  word  of  God  and  in  resorting  to  the  temple  only  for  the 
sake  of  these  low  forms  of  sensual  gratification.  Solomon  says  of 
them — “They  are  reckless  as  to  the  doing  of  evil.”  They  seem 

to  have  no  thought  or  care  how  much  they  sin. Prof.  Stuart 

renders  the  last  words — “They  know  not  how  to  be  sad;”  i.  c., 
they  are  altogether  averse  to  proper  sorrow  for  sin  and  do  not  fre- 
quent the  temple  for  the  sake  of  humbling  themselves  before  God 
penitently  and  imploring  his  pardon.  Doing  evil  is  the  legiti- 
mate sense  of  the  original. That  the  priests  taught  the  people 

out  of  the  law  and,  naturally,  at  the  temple,  appears  from  Deut. 
33:  10:  “They  shall  teach  Jacob  thy  judgments  and  Israel  thy 
law;”  and  from  Micah  3:  11:  “The  priests  teach  for  hire;” 
and  Mai.  2:7:  For  the  priests’  lips  should  keep  knowledge;  and 
they  should  seek  the  law  from  his  mouth,  for  he  is  the  messenger 
of  the  Lord  of  Hosts.”  To  obtain  this  knowledge  through  the 
priests  was  therefore  always  a matter  of  the  utmost  consequence, 
not  restricted  indeed  to  the  temple  as  to  location,  yet  never  inap- 
propriate there. That  a portion  of  certain  sacrifices  was  cus- 

tomarily eaten  in  a social  way  by  the  offerer  and  his  friends  ap- 
pears in  such  passages  as  1 Sam.  9:  12,  13  and  20:  29.  This  part 
of  the  temple  service  had  special  attractions  for  the  sensual  and 
morally  reckless,  and  was  by  them  most  shamefully  perverted  and 

abused. Some  of  the  critics  who  insist  that  this  book  was  not 

written  till  long  after  the  restoration  from  Babylon  suppose  they 
find  confirmation  in  the  circumstance  that  Malachi  rebukes  sim- 
12 


264 


ECCLESIASTES — CHAP.  V. 


ilar  sins,  and  also  that  during  Solomon’s  reign  the  temple  worship 
was  never  abused  in  this  way.  But  such  perversions  are  not  very 
extraordinary  in  any  age.  As  suggested  in  the  general  introduc- 
tion, the  great  splendor  which  in  Solomon’s  reign  was  suddenly 
thrown  round  the  temple  worship  would  naturally  attract  thou- 
sands who  had  no  hearty  reverence  for  God  and  no  desire  to  hear 
his  law,  but  only  to  indulge  their  curiosity  and  their  social  and 
animal  propensities.  Such  cases  must  have  been  perpetually  be- 
fore the  eye  of  Solomon.  Especially  in  the  latter  part  of  his 
reign  it  is  morally  certain  that  a great  decline  in  national  piety 
had  taken  place — else  the  people  of  the  ten  tribes  could  not  have 
accepted  so  readily  the  edict  of  Jeroboam,  requiring  them  to  wor- 
ship his  calves. 

The  fact  that  here  are  seven  verses  (1-7)  referring  to  attendance 
upon  the  house  of  God,  to  prayer  and  to  vows  under  the  Hebrew 
law,  may  appear  to  some  to  be  an  objection  to  the  view  given  in 
the  Introduction  of  the  special  design  of  this  book,  viz.,  that  it 
was  adapted  somewhat  particularly  to  the  case  of  foreigners  who 
had  been  Solomon’s  admirers  and  followers.  To  this  objection  I 
reply : (1.)  I do  not  hold  that  the  book  was  designed  for  foreigners 
exclusively . It  was  open  to  Hebrews  as  well.  (2.)  One  class  of 
his  contemplated  readers  of  foreign  birth,  viz.,  his  numerous  wives 
and  their  friends,  were  located  near  the  temple.  To  them,  this 
passage  was  specially  appropriate.  (3.)  Naturally,  Solomon  might 
have  been  more  than  willing  that  foreign  princes  and  merchants 
should  know  his  views  in  respect  to  the  reverence  due  to  the  Great 
God,  in  respect  to  prayers  also  and  vows.  These  remarks  might 
suggest  to  them  the  wide  contrast  between  Jehovah  and  their  own 
idol  gods.  (4.)  If  in  addition  to  these  points,  it  be  further  con- 
sidered that  this  passage  is  quite  aside  from  the  main  course  of 
thought  and  argument  in  this  book,  and  that  there  is  nothing  else 
of  the  same  sort,  it  can  not  be  regarded  as  an  objection  to  the 
theory  that  in  the  main  Solomon  contemplated  readers  of  foreign 
birth  and  adapted  his  argument  to  their  case. 

2.  Be  not  rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not  thine  heart 
be  hasty  to  utter  any  thing  before  God  : for  God  is  in  heaven, 
and  thou  upon  earth : therefore  let  thy  words  be  few. 

3.  For  a dream  cometh  through  the  multitude  of  busi- 
ness ; and  a fooTs  voice  is  known  by  multitude  of  words. 

This  language  might  apply  pertinently  either  to  words  of  prayer, 
or  to  the  words  used  in  the  solemn  vow.  Inasmuch  as  prayers  and 
vows  were  naturally  blended  together,  it  is  quite  legitimate  to 
consider  both  as  involved  here.  This  caution  applies  to  all  words 
addressed  to  God.  A multitude  of  words,  poured  out  irreverently 
and  without  serious  thought,  is  compared  to  the  incoherent  and 
unmeaning  fancies  of  dreams  when  the  mind  has  been  overborne 
with  business  and  cares.  In  no  such  manner  and  spirit  should  men 
approach  the  Great  God.  Let  them  rather  think  of  him  as  filling 


ECCLESIASTES -CHAP.  V. 


265 


the  highest  heavens  and  yet  as  condescending  in  his  great  com- 
passion to  bend  his  ear  thence  to  the  humble  prayer  of  mortals 
Let  them,  therefore,  approach  his  mercy-seat  with  profoundesb 
gratitude  and  reverential  awe,  blended,  indeed,  with  a filial  but 

never  a reckless  spirit. This  precept  can  not  legitimately  be 

construed  to  forbid  the  free  use  of  as  many  words  as  may  be 
necessary  to  express  our  wants  or  to  give  free  utterance  to  the 
real  longings  of  our  burdened  hearts.  “Vain  repetitions,”  which 
are  both  the  index  and  the  expression  of  an  irreverent  heart,  are 
rightly  forbidden. 

4.  When  thou  vowest  a vow  unto  God,  defer  not  to  pay 
it ; for  he  hath  no  pleasure  in  fools : pay  that  which  thou 
hast  vowed. 

5.  Better  is  it  that  thou  shouldest  not  vow,  than  that 
thou  shouldest  vow  and  not  pay. 

The  Mosaic  Institutes  permitted  and  regulated  these  solemn 
vows.  (See  Num.  30  throughout,  and  Deut.  23 : 21-23.)  The  latter 
passage  is  fully  in  harmony  with  these  words  of  Solomon.  “When 
thou  shalt  vow  a vow  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  shalt  not  slack 
to  pay  it ; for  the  Lord  thy  God  will  surely  require  it  of  thee ; and 
it  would  be  sin  in  thee.  But  if  thou  shalt  forbear  to  vow,  it  shall 
be  no  sin  in  thee,”  etc.  The  history  of  the  Lord’s  people,  both 
before  and  after  Moses,  gives  us  cases  of  such  vows.  The  reader 
will  recall  the  case  of  Jacob  before  (Gen.  29:  20-22),  and  of  Han- 
nah after  (1  Sam.  1:  II). Solomon  applies  the  term  “fools” 

to  those  who  vow  recklessly  and  care  not  to  perform  their  vows. 

6.  Suffer  not  thy  mouth  to  cause  thy  flesh  to  sin  ; neither 
say  thou  before  the  angel,  that  it  was  an  error:  wherefore 
should  God  be  angry  at  thy  voice,  and  destroy  the  work  of 
thine  hands? 

In  this  somewhat  difficult  passage  I understand  the  mouth  to  be 
named  as  the  organ  of  speech  in  making  vows,  and  in  irreverent 
prayers.  “ Flesh”  is  used  for  the  entire  person  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  body  because  under  the  Mosaic  system  the  punishment 
for  rash  and  unperformed  vows  fell  naturally  upon  the  body  of  the 
offender.  The  word  rendered  “ cause  to  sin,”  probably  means  here 
to  involve  in  guilt , with  special  reference  to  its  consequences,  i.  e ., 
punishment.  It  can  not  be  supposed  that  the  flesh  itself,  consid- 
ered as  distinct  and  apart  from  the  mind,  can  sin.  But  it  can  suffer 
for  sin;  and  this  is  probably  the  meaning  here.  Let  not  thy  mouth 
rashly  involve  thy  entire  person  in  guilt  and  consequent  suffering. 

The  “ angel  ” here  is  doubtless  the  priest,  so  called  because  in 

a sense  the  messenger  of  God — the  agent  acting  for  God — in  the 
matter  of  vows  especially,  and  of  sacrifices  and  divine  worship 
generally.  See  his  agency  in  the  case  of  vows,  in  Lev.  27 : 1-25. 
The  same  term  is  applied  to  the  priest  in  Mai.  2:7.  “ For  he  i? 


266 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  V. 


the  messenger  [angel]  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts.” “ Say  not,  it  was 

an  error i.  e .,  an  inadvertence ; a sin  of  ignorance — with  reference 
to  the  broad  distinction  made  in  the  Mosaic  law  between  sins  of 
inadvertence  on  the  one  hand,  and  presumptuous,  deliberate  and 
daring  sins  on  the  other.  See  this  distinction  fully  drawn  out 
(Num.  15  : 22-31).  The  spirit  of  the  admonition  here  is — Do  not 
make  a rash  vow,  and  then  resort  to  this  plea  of  inadvertence  to 
excuse  or  extenuate  your  guilt  or  justify  non-fulfillment.  Rather 
consider  beforehand  and  act  deliberately.  Make  no  solemn  vow 
without  a serious  purpose  to  perform  it.  When  made,  see  that 
you  do  perform  it  faithfully.  Why  should  you  provoke  the  dis- 
pleasure of  Almighty  God  by  your  rash  words  and  your  guilty 
irreverence,  and  so  bring  down  his  judgments  upon  the  work  of 

your  hands  ? “ The  work  of  your  hands,”  i.  e.,  the  fruits  of  your 

labor,  refer  naturally  to  the  products  of  the  field.  If  these  had 
been  pledged  to  God  in  the  solemn  vow,  and  then  guiltily  withheld, 
God  would  bring  his  curse  upon  them,  sending  his  judgments  as 
usual  so  in  the  line  of  their  sin  as  to  show  them  why  he  scourged 
them. 

7.  For  in  the  multitude  of  dreams  and  many  words  there 
are  also  divers  vanities : but  fear  thou  God. 

The  sense  of  this  verse  is  better  given  by  a more  precise  trans- 
lation, introducing  in  brackets  what  is  implied,  thus:  “For  in 
multiplying  dreams  and  vanities  and  words  excessively,  [you 
expose  yourself  to  this  destruction] ; but  fear  thou  God.”  Men 
are  in  peril  when  they  talk  too  much,  and  especially  when  they 
speak  rashly  and  thoughtlessly  before  God.  The  precept  of  wis- 
dom in  this  case  is,  Fear  thou  God.  Let  a deep  and  wholesome 
reverence  toward  God  possess  thy  soul  and  guard  thy  tongue 
against  rash  words  before  him. 

8.  If  thou  seest  the  oppression  of  the  poor,  and  violent 
perverting  of  judgment  and  justice  in  a province,  marvel 
not  at  the  matter : for  he  that  is  higher  than  the  highest 
regardeth ; and  there  be  higher  than  they. 

The  last  clause  of  this  verse  I would  translate — “ For  one  who 
is  higher  than  this  high  one  is  observing,  and  the  Most  High  is 
over  them  both;” — the  meaning  of  which  is  that  a higher  officer  is 
over  this  oppressive  magistrate,  taking  cognizance  of  his  acts ; and 
the  Most  High  God  is  over  both  of  them,  so  that  if  the  superior 
human  ruler  fails  to  bring  his  subordinate  to  account,  the  Great 

God  will  punish  them  both. This  oppression  is  supposed  to 

occur  in  “ the  province”  where  subordinate  officers  would  naturally 
be  in  charge.  Within  the  range  of  Solomon’s  extensive  acquaint- 
ance in  the  east,  such  abuses  of  power  in  civil  magistrates  were 
no  doubt  exceedingly  common.  He  says — Do  not  marvel  at  it, 
nor  think  that  this  horrible  iniquity  wiil  pass  unpunished.  The 


ECCLESIASTES- CHAP.  V. 


287 


Great  God  is  never  blind  to  the  wrongs  which  unjust  magistrates 
inflict  upon  their  people.  If  the  king  who  places  them  in  powei 
does  not  call  them  to  account,  God  surely  will. 

9.  Moreover  the  profit  of  the  earth  is  for  all : the  king 
himself  is  served  by  the  field. 

This  verse  is  difficult  and  has  been  interpreted  quite  variously. 
Stuart  translates  it — “Moreover  an  advantage  of  a land  in  all  this 
is,  a king  to  a cultivated  field.”  He  assumes  a close  connection 
with  the  preceding  verse,  thus : Whereas  many  public  officers  are 
so  oppressive  upon  the  laboring  classes  as  to  discourage  and  almost 
preclude  agriculture,  it  is  a great  advantage  to  a country  to  have 

a king  who  cares  for  and  insures  the  cultivation  of  the  fields. 

Hengstenberg  renders  it:  “And  the  advantage  of  the  earth  is  in 
all;  a king  to  the  cultivated  field.”  This  cultivated  field  he  takes 
to  be  the  whole  earth  so  far  as  capable  of  culture.  The  king  is 

God  himself. The  general  sense  given  in  the  received  English 

version  is  not  bad,  viz.:  that  the  soil  is  the  ultimate  source  of 
supply  for  all  human  wants ; even  the  king  is  dependent  on  the 
field,  or  the  king  is  a servant  to  the  field,  i.  e .,  is  compelled  to  do 
service  to  the  soil  in  order  to  get  subsistence  for  himself  and  his 

people. The  Septuagint  suggests  another  construction  in  some 

respects  more  close  to  the  original,  viz.:  The  excellence  of  a country 
universally  is  this : — a king  over  well  cultivated  fields.  That  is, 
the  best  thing  of  all  for  the  earth  [in  this  line]  is  a king  who  fos- 
ters agriculture. It  was  specially  pertinent  that  Solomon  should 

thus  commend  agriculture  inasmuch  as  the  exports  of  his  country 
were  almost  exclusively  these  products  of  the  soil.  (See  1 Kings 
5:  9,  11.)  Solomon  gave  Hiram  (of  Tyre)  twenty  thousand 
“ measures  of  wheat,”  etc.  In  the  full  account  which  Ezekiel 
(chap.  27)  givps  of  the  trade  of  Tyre,  the  same  fact  appears ; 
“Judah  and  the  land  of  Israel  were  thy  merchants;  they  traded 
in  thy  market,  wheat,”  etc.  Such  praise  of  agriculture  was  spe- 
cially in  point  considered  as  addressed  to  the  princes  and  monarchs 
of  foreign  lands — those  princes  being  under  temptation  to  oppress 
their  subjects  to  such  an  extent  as  to  impede  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil ; — the  merchants  being  moreover  liable  to  over-estimate  silver 
and  gold  and  to  under-estimate  the  more  homely  products  of  field 
culture.  The  indirect  moral  influence  of  husbandry  is  admirable, 
and  Solomon  was  the  very  man  to  see  it. 

10.  He  that  loveth  silver  shall  not  be  satisfied  with 
silver ; nor  he  that  loveth  abundance  with  increase : this  is 
also  vanity. 

Avarice  is  wont  often,  not  always,  to  take  on  this  precise  form — 
“the  love  of  silver” — and  to  develop  itself  in  hoarding  the  pre- 
cious metals.  A man  of  such  spirit  is  never  satisfied;  there  is 
nothing  in  silver  and  gold  that  can  satisfy  him.  His  miserly  heart 


268 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  Y. 


is  only  tormented  with  the  lust  of  accumulation  and  the  fear  of 
loss.  Unceasing  anxieties  corrode  his  soul  and  forbid  repcse. 
This  is  precisely  a “vanity”  What  can  be  more  empty ! Worse 
than  merely  empty,  it  is  positively  a mischief  and  a misery. 

11.  When  goods  increase,  they  are  increased  that  eat 
them  : and  what  good  is  there  to  the  owners  thereof,  saving 
the  beholding  of  them  with  their  eyes  ? 

With  the  increase  of  wealth  in  goods,  cattle,  lands,  there  comes 
a demand  for  an  increase  of  servants  and  employees  to  manage 
them.  All  these  must  be  fed.  Thus  the  outgoes  advance  with 
the  incomes.  What  good  then  has  the  owner  above  his  servants, 
except  in  this,  that  he  can  look  on  these  possessions  and  say — All 
these  are  mine ! Each  alike  has  his  daily  bread ; the  owner  no 
more ; and  his  family,  his  household  and  servants  no  less.  Hence 
the  actual  enjoyments  of  life  are  more  nearly  equal  than  is  com- 
monly supposed:  the  special  advantage  of  the  rich  man  above  the 
poor  is  less  than  he  is  wont  to  think.  These  facts  have  a whole- 
some bearing  upon  the  class  for  whom  Solomon  is  specially  writing. 

Luther  comments  tersely : “Whoso  then  gathers  riches,  gathers 

devourers.  Therefore  why  plague  thyself  to  collect  much  and  to 
increase  thy  treasure?  However  many  possessions  thou  hast, 
thou  canst  not  do  more  than  fill  thy  belly  and  clothe  thy  poor  body. 
If  God  gives  thee  riches,  use  thy  share  as  thou  usest  thy  share  of 
water,  and  let  the  rest  flow  on : and  if  thou  doest  it  not,  thy  gather- 
ing will  still  be  in  vain.” 

12.  The  sleep  of  a laboring  man  is  sweet,  whether  he  eat 
little  or  much:  but  the  abundance  of  the  rich  will  not  suf- 
fer him  to  sleep. 

Comparing  the  man  of  daily  labor  with  the  man  of  wealth,  the 
former  is  pretty  sure  to  eat  as  well  and  to  sleep  much  better. 
Such  labor  almost  insures  health,  and  with  health  the  best  pleas- 
ures of  food  and  sleep.  On  the  other  hand,  abundance — an  ex- 
cess above  his  real  wants — is  so  much  to  be  cared  for  and  kept, 
often  with  a degree  of  anxiety  that  forbids  sleep.  In  this  balanc- 
ing of  the  relative  enjoyments  of  the  two  classes,  the  laborer  has 

altogether  the  advantage. This  also  is  wholesome  doctrine 

for  the  wealthy  classes  to  whom  Solomon  specially  addresses  his 
Dook. 

13.  There  is  a sore  evil  which  I have  seen  under  the  sun, 
namely , riches  kept  for  the  owners  thereof  to  their  hurt. 

A sore  evil  it  is  that  riches,  the  avails  of  so  much  labor,  should 
be  hoarded  by  their  owner  to  his  damage;  kept,  locked  from  use, 
to  be  only  a curse  to  their  possessor.  What  a man  has  paid  for 
so  dearly,  one  would  think  ought  to  pay  him  well  in  return. 
WTat  then  if  it  only  pays  him  in  hurt — rewards  him  with  calami- 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  V. 


269 


ties  and  curses ! The  true  wisdom  of  life  lies  in  laboring  not 

for  one's  self,  but  for  others — for  the  greatest  good  of  the  greatest 
possible  number.  Riches  accumulated  and  used  on  this  principle 
are  choice  and  precious  blessings,  not  only  to  the  great  number 
of  others  blessed  thereby,  but  specially  to  the  princely  owner — 
the  almoner  of  these  blessings  to  his  fellow-creatures.  What  a 
luxury  must  life  be  to  him ! How  unlike  to  his  expanded  and 
overflowing  heart  is  the  shriveled  soul  of  the  miserly  man  who 
hoards  and  keeps  to  his  hurt,  so  that  the  more  he  has,  he  is  only 
the  more  wretched! 

14.  But  those  riches  perish  by  evil  travail : and  he  beget- 
teth  a son,  and  there  is  nothing  in  his  hand. 

Here  another  point  is  made ; those  hoarded  riches  not  only 
curse  their  owner  while  they  stay,  but  they  are  liable  to  disap- 
pear suddenly  and  be  no  more.  “They  perish  by  evil  travail” — 
“by  luckless  undertakings”  (Stuart);  by  misfortune;  by  unfore- 
seen disaster;  by  causes  of  loss  which  no  human  sagacity  can 
provide  against.  “Riches  take  to  themselves  wings  and  fly 
away.” Then  the  man  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  accumu- 

lating for  his  children,  begets  a son  and  has  not  a thing  in  his 
hand  to  give  him.  This  is  a sore  trial  to  one  who  has  labored 
hard  for  wealth  to  give  his  children,  and  has  once  had  it,  but 

has  lost  it. Thus  I prefer  to  answer  the  question,  Whose  hand? 

by  saying — the  fathers.  For  it  would  be  a too  obvious  truism  to 
say  that  this  rich  man  begat  a son  and  this  son  was  born  with 
nothing  in  his  hand.  This  happens  to  be  true  of  all  babes — those 
of  the  poor  and  of  the  rich  alike. 

15.  As  he  came  forth  of  his  mother’s  womb,  naked  shall 
he  return  to  go  as  he  came,  and  shall  take  nothing  of  his 
labor,  which  he  may  carry  away  in  his  hand. 

16.  And  this  also  is  a sore  evil,  that  in  all  points  as  he 
came,  so  shall  he  go : and  what  profit  hath  he  that  hath 
labored  for  the  wind? 

This  too  is  said  of  the  rich  man.  He  leaves  the  world  as  naked 
as  he  entered  it,  and  takes  with  him  no  fruit  of  all  his  life-long 
labors.  In  all  points  as  he  came,  so  does  he  go : what  profit  then 
is  it  to  him  that  he  hath  labored  for  the  wind?  As  if  one  were 
to  accumulate  some  choice  materials  which  a sudden  blast  of 

wind  should  sweep  utterly  away. The  apostle  Paul  (to  Timothy 

1 Eps.  6:  7)  has  the  same  idea,  perhaps  suggested  by  this  pas- 
sage; “For  we  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  and  it  is  certain 
we  can  carry  nothing  out.”  “What  ceases  with  death  can  not 
make  us  truly  happy  even  while  we  have  it.”  It  holds  too  low 
a sphere  ; touches  not  the  greater  elements  of  our  being — char- 
acter, virtue,  goodness — the  qualities  that  go  with  us  into  the  eter- 
nal world.  It  is  utterly  unlike  laying  up  treasures  for  heaven. 


270 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  V. 


17.  All  his  days  also  he  eateth  in  darkness,  and  he  hath 
much  sorrow  and  wrath  with  his  sickness. 

This  verse  lias  been  translated  and  construed  variously,  yet  in 
general  with  substantially  the  same  resulting  sense.  Stuart — • 
“Also  he  consumes  all  his  days  in  gloom,  and  is  much  irritated, 

and  his  infirmities  are  matter  of  indignation.” Hengstenberg— 

“All  his  days  also  he  eateth  in  darkness  and  hath  much  discon- 
tent, and  then  his  sickness  and  wrath.”  The  word  rendered  in 
the  English  version  “ sorrow  ” is  pointed  in  Hebrew  as  a verb. 
The  general  sentiment  is  that  this  rich  man  does  not  even  enjoy 
his  food,  but  all  his  life  eats  in  darkness,  i.  e .,  in  sadness,  anxiety; 
is  full  of  discontent;  his  infirmities  irritate  his  temper  and 
make  him  intensely  unhappy.  Probably  the  writer  alludes  to 
those  diseases  which  naturally  result  from  luxurious  living,  and 

which  so  often  help  to  poison  the  cup  of  the  rich. Thus  closes 

one  of  the  most  vivid  and  truthful  descriptions  ever  drawn  by 
human  pen  of  the  wretchedness  and  folly  of  the  avaricious  pur- 
suit of  wealth.  O how  well  if  it  might  dissuade  men  from  a life 
so  full  of  disquiet,  so  disastrous  in  its  influence  upon  the  heart, 
and  so  sure  to  repay  hard  toil  and  corroding  anxiety  with  the 
keenest  disappointment ! 

18.  Behold  that  which  I have  seen:  it  is  good  and  comely 
for  one  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  to  enjoy  the  good  of  all  his 
labor  that  he  taketh  under  the  sun  all  the  days  of  his  life, 
which  God  giveth  him  : for  it  is  his  portion. 

Look  at  the  conclusions  to  which  I have  come  from  my  personal 
observation  of  human  life.  It  is  both  good  in  itself  and  comely, 
in  the  sense  of  appropriate,  befitting  man  in  all  his  relations, 
whether  to  God  or  to  his  fellow-men,  that  he  should  eat  and  drink 
what  is  needful  and  wholesome,  and  should  enjoy  the  good  of  his 
labor  as  he  passes  on  through  life,  accepting  it  all  with  grateful 
heart  to  his  Great  Benefactor  and  Preserver.  The  beauty  of  the 
passage  lies  in  its  recognition  of  God’s  hand  in  both  the  gift  of 
days  to  live  in,  and  the  gift  of  food  and  drink  to  enjoy  while  he 
lives.  It  is  preeminently  wholesome  in  its  moral  bearings  to  keep 
this  sense  of  God’s  favor  in  the  gift  of  days  and  of  daily  food,  ever- 
more fresh  upon  the  heart.  It  begets  a humble  trust  for  the  fu- 
ture ; allays  all  wasting  anxieties  for  great  accumulations ; and 
inspires  us  to  a ready  sympathy  and  benevolence  toward  our  fel- 
lows who  may  have  fallen  under  sore  affliction  from  the  hand  of 
the  Lord.  This  is  using  the  world  as  not  abusing  it;  using  it  sc 
as  to  fill  it  with  heavenly  influence  toward  a filial  trust  and  a 
grateful  love  of  our  divine  Father. As  indicated  in  the  Eng- 

lish margin,  the  Hebrew  translated — “ It  is  good  and  comely,” 
might  be  rendered,  “ that  is  good  which  is  also  comely ;”  but  the 
meaning  seems  to  be — good  and  comely  also. 


ECCLESL\STES — CHAP.  V. 


271 


19.  Every  man  also  to  whom  God  hath  given  riches  and 
wealth,  and  hath  given  him  power  to  eat  thereof,  and  to  take 
his  portion,  and  to  rejoice  in  his  labor ; this  is  the  gift  of 
God. 

To  complete  the  sentence  and  bring  out  the  full  sense  we  may 
read — u The  same  is  true  of  every  man  also  to  whom  God  hath 
given,”  etc.  That  is,  it  is  true  of  every  such  man  that  it  is  both 
good  and  comely  for  him  to  eat  and  drink,  accepting  all  as  the 
gift  of  God.  This  verse  adds  to  the  thought  in  v.  18,  this  consid- 
eration— that  if  God  gives  to  a man  both  riches  and  the  ability  to 
enjoy  them,  he  should  accept  both  these  gifts,  and  especially  the 
latter — the  power  to  enjoy  worldly  good — as  the  very  gift  of  God. 
It  so  often  happens  that  where  God  gives  riches,  he  gives  not  the 
power  to  enjoy  them,  that  the  bestowment  of  both  blessings  upon 
the  same  man  should  awaken  special  gratitude.  The  author  pro- 
ceeds to  speak  of  this  case  in  the  next  chapter,  vs.  1,  2. The 

sentiment  of  this  verse  appears  also  chap.  2:  24  and  3 : 12,  13,  22. 

20.  For  he  shall  not  much  remember  the  days  of  his  life  ; 
because  God  answereth  him  in  the  joy  of  his  heart. 

He  will  have  small  occasion  to  dwell  in  mournful  reminiscence 
upon  the  scenes  of  the  past,  however  trying  and  laborious  they 
may  have  been,  for  God  now  meets  the  desires  of  the  heart,  giving 
him  both  a competence  of  earthly  good,  and  the  ability  to  enjoy 

it. Some  critics  give  a slightly  different  turn  to  the  word 

“ answereth  ” by  taking  it  in  the  causative  sense  of  making  other 
things  (e.  g .,  all  nature)  answer  (correspond)  to  the  joy  of  his 
heart.  God  helps  a man  to  a cheerful  satisfied  spirit  which  sheds 
sunshine  over  all  this  otherwise  dark  world,  making  every  object 
reflect  the  same  brightness  which  glows  in  his  own  trustful,  happy 
soul.  The  very  idea  is  beautiful,  and  the  state  of  mind  which  it 
describes  is  almost  half  a heaven  upon  earth,  so  that  it  were  a 
pity  to  throw  any  doubt  upon  this  construction.  The  verb  will 
bear  it  since  it  may  be  in  the  causative  (Hiphil)  conjugation;  but 
the  11  all  things ,”  assumed  to  be  the  direct  object  of  the  causative 
verb  is  not  in  the  text.  Hence  the  first  construction  above  given 
corresponds  best  with  what  the  writer  actually  said. 


272 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  YI. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

The  course  of  thought  in  this  chapter  is  very  similar  to  that  in 
chap.  5:  10-17,  viz.,  a specification  of  ways  in  which  men  wlf5 
seek  much  worldly  good  are  frustrated  in  their  search  and  find 
little  or  none. 

1.  There  is  an  evil  which  I have  seen  under  the  sun,  and 
it  is  common  among  men : 

2.  A man  to  whom  God  hath  given  riches,  wealth,  and 
honor,  so  that  he  wanteth  nothing  for  his  soul  of  all  that 
he  desireth,  yet  God  giveth  him  not  power  to  eat  thereof, 
but  a stranger  eateth  it : this  is  vanity,  and  it  is  an  evil 
disease. 

This  evil,  I understand  the  author  to  say,  presses  heavily  upon 
man  ; not,  is  “ common  among  men.”  This  sense  is  rendered  very 
probable  by  the  usage  of  the  same  word  in  chap.  2:  21  and  8:6; 

“a  great  evil;”  “the  misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him.” The 

case  is  that  of  a man  to  whom  God  has  given  all  the  wealth  and 
all  the  distinction  by  means  of  wealth  that  his  soul  could  desire, 
but  has  not  “given  him  the  power  to  eat  thereof,  but  a stranger 
eateth  it.”  The  author  does  not  state  definitely  why  this  rich  man 
could  not  enjoy  his  wealth.  Probably  eating  is  to  be  taken  in  the 
broad  sense  for  all  forms  of  enjoying  wealth,  and  the  statement  is 
made  thus  indefinite  on  purpose  to  cover  a great  variety  of  cases ; 
e.  g.,  ill-health;  indigestion  which  would  quite  forbid  his  enjoy- 
ment of  his  food ; or  robbery  and  violence  by  which  it  might  sud- 
denly pass  into  other  and  villainous  hands. “This  is  a vanity 

and  a grievous  plague!'  In  Deut.  25:  29,  “sore  sickness,”  trans- 
lating the  same  words  that  are  used  here,  has  the  same  general 
sense  as  “plagues  ” in  the  parallel  clause,  which  the  Lord  would 
make  “ wonderful.”  Solomon  s meaning  is  not  to  be  restricted  to 
bodily  disease. 

3.  If  a man  beget  a hundred  children , and  live  many 
years,  so  that  the  days  of  his  years  be  many,  and  his  soul 
be  not  filled  with  good,  and  also  that  he  have  no  burial ; 
I say,  that  an  untimely  birth  is  better  than  he. 

4.  For  he  cometh  in  with  vanity,  and  departeth  in  dark- 
ness, and  his  name  shall  be  covered  with  darkness. 

5.  Moreover  he  hath  not  seen  the  sun,  nor  known  any 
thing : this  hath  more  rest  than  the  other. 

Long  life  and  a numerous  offspring  were  accounted  by  the 
Orientals  the  richest  of  blessings.  But  Solomon  says  that  even 
this  man  so  blessed,  if  his  desires  are  not  gratified,  and  if  more- 
over he  should  fail  of  burial  (in  their  esteem  a very  great  calamity), 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VI. 


273 


has  a less  desirable  lot  than  the  “untimely  birth” — the  still-born 
who  live  not  to  see  the  light  of  day.  This  “ untimely  birth  ” is 
further  described  in  vs.  4,  5.  The  point  decisive  in  favor  of  the 
latter  is  that  he  hath  more  rest  than  the  other  who  has  lived  long 
and  had  many  children.  Rest  is  regarded  in  Oriental  life  as  the 
chief  good. 

6.  Yea,  though  he  live  a thousand  years  twice  told , yet 
hath  he  seen  no  good  : do  not  all  go  to  one  place  ? 

The  same  comparison  is  still  continued,  enlarging  the  supposition 
as  to  the  great  age,  the  “many  days,”  which  the  father  of  a hun- 
dred children  should  live.  Suppose  his  days  double  the  years  of 
the  longest-lived  antediluvian,  yet  if  he  fails  of  seeing  good  in  his 
life,  what  avails  it  that  he  has  lived  so  long?  Does  not  he  die  at 
last  and  go  to  the  same  place  with  the  still-born  infant?  A life 
however  long,  yet  fruitless  of  enjoyment,  and  ending  in  a death 
that  is  common  to  all  the  race  and  even  to  the  untimely  birth — 
what  is  the  good  of  it  ? 

7.  All  the  labor  of  man  is  for  his  mouth,  and  yet  the  ap- 
petite is  not  filled. 

8.  For  what  hath  the  wise  more  than  the  fool  ? what  hath 
the  poor,  that  knoweth  to  walk  before  the  living  ? 

The  demand  for  food  is  twofold,  viz.:  (1.)  For  sustenance,  strength 
and  life;  and  (2.)  For  the  indulgence  and  gratification  of  appetite. 
Comprising  both  these  demands,  it  may  be  said  truly  that  much 
if  not  strictly  all  of  human  labor  is  “for  the  mouth.”  But  the 
appetite  is  not  so  filled  that  its  cravings  do  not  return.  More  sup- 
plies are  soon  wanted.  And  in  this  respect  the  wise  man  and  the 
fool  are  alike — the  wise  having  no  distinctive  advantage  over  the 
fool.  The  poor  man  who  has  great  discretion  as  to  his  demeanor 
before  living  men  is  here  parallel  to  the  wise  man,  and  the  same 
things  are  said  of  him.  He  feels  the  returning  demands  of  appe- 
tite in  common  with  the  man  of  no  such  discretion.  The  ques- 
tion— What  hath  the  wise  man  more  than  the  fool  ? must  be  re- 
stricted to  the  definite  point  in  hand,  and  not  taken  in  a broad, 
unqualified  sense. 

9.  Better  is  the  sight  of  the  eyes  than  the  wandering  of 
the  desire : this  is  also  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

The  sentiment  is— It  is  better  to  enjoy  the  sight  of  present  good 
quietly  and  gratefully  than  to  let  your  desires  roam  abroad  for 
pleasures  far  to  seek  and  hard  to  gain.  Accept  what  comes  to 
your  hand,  and  beware  that  you  do  not  throw  a loose  rein  on  your 
desires  for  absent  good.  Luther  remarks  : — Solomon’s  will  is  that 
we  make  use  of  the  present;  thank  God  for  it;  and  not  think  of 
any  thing  else,  like  the  dog  in  .zEsop  who  snapped  at  the  shadow  and 
let  the  flesh  fall.” 


274 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VI. 


10.  That  which  hath  been  is  named  already,  and  it  is 
known  that  it  is  man:  neither  may  he  contend  with  him 
that  is  mightier  than  he. 

The  received  translation  fails  to  give  the  full  sense  of  this  verse. 
I paraphrase  it : What  man  has  been  and  is,  was  long  ago  (i.  e ., 
in  Eden)  indicated  by  the  name  given  him  there — “Adam”  i.  e.y 
dust;  and  it  is  known  [by  long  and  sad  experience]  that  he  is 
only  dust — frail  and  perishing ; and  therefore  entirely  unable  to 
contend  with  him  who  is  mightier  far,  viz.,  the  Most  High  God. 

How  can  frail  dust  cope  with  Omnipotence  ? Beyond  all  ques- 

tion  the  passage  alludes  to  the  name,  Adam,  given  to  man  in  Eden 
(Gen.  2 : 7)  because  he  was  formed  out  of  “ Adamah ,”  the  ground 
or  dust  of  the  earth. 

11.  Seeing  there  be  many  things  that  increase  vanity, 
what  is  man  the  better  ? 

To  the  word  rendered  “things,”  Prof.  Stuart  gives  the  sense 
words  (the  Hebrew  will  bear  either),  and  he  supposes  the  mean- 
ing to  be  that  words  are  vain  when  used  in  the  effort  to  “ dis- 
close a permanent  and  immutable  good  for  man  in  the  present 
world.”  I prefer  the  sense  things , thus: — “For  there  are  many 
things  that  intensify  vanity  — augmenting  its  force  and  insuring 
its  result  of  utter  emptiness;  what  profit  then  can  there  be  for 
man  in  the  selfish  pursuit  of  earthly  good  ? 

12.  For  who  knoweth  what  is  good  for  man  in  this  life, 
all  the  days  of  his  vain  life  which  he  spendeth  as  a shadow  ? 
for  who  can  tell  a man  what  shall  be  after  him  under  the 
sun? 

Who  can  know  what  of  all  merely  earthly  things  will  be  an  en- 
during good  to  man  in  this  vain  and  fleeting  life  ? For  who  can 
tell  a man  what  shall  be  after  him — i.  e .,  either  after  his  present 
hour,  in  the  remaining  future  of  his  present  life;  or  after  his 
death,  befalling  his  estate  and  his  labors  then  ? The  general 
scope  of  thought  favors  the  former  viewT:  the  usual  sense  of  the 
phrase,  “after  him,”  favors  the  latter.  In  either  sense  there  is 
truth  and  a pertinent  application.  All  the  future  from  any  given 
point  is  utterly  unknown  to  man ; how  then  can  he  tell  what  is 

good  for  him  in  this  life  while  yet  his  fleeting  days  hold  out? 

So  entire  is  this  uncertainty,  so  dark  is  all  the  future, — why  should 
man  vainly  labor  to  carve  out  his  own  fortune  by  dint  of  care  and 
toil,  and  refuse  to  cast  himselt  upon  God,  commit  his  ways  to  his 
guiding  providence,  and  trust  him  for  all  ? 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


275 


CHAPTER  VII. 

In  this  chapter  we  have  miscellaneous  counsels,  hearing  upor 
the  culture  of  wisdom  and  virtue. 

1.  A good  name  is  better  than  precious  ointment ; and 
the  day  of  death  than  the  day  of  one’s  birth. 

The  Hebrew  which  means  strictly  a name  is  pertinently  qualified 
in  the  received  version  by  the  word  “good” — “a  good  name,”  as 
in  Prov.  22:  1,  “A  name  (i.  e .,  a good  name)  is  rather  to  be 
chosen  than  great  riches.”  It  is  of  course  assumed  that  this  rep- 
utation is  well  deserved,  being  founded  in  true  virtue.  Such  a 
name  is  more  fragrant  than  the  sweet  odors  of  the  choicest  oint- 
ments. This  figure  was  familiar  to  the  people  of  the  East  who 
made  great  use  of  ointments  and  valued  them  highly.  The  com- 
parison is  at  once  pertinent  and  beautiful.  We  love  to  think  of  a 
truly  good  man.  The  mention  of  his  name  and  even  the  very 
thought  of  him  refresh  the  soul  and  strengthen  every  virtuous  pur- 
pose and  effort.  They  have  the  power  of  a charm  against  temp- 
tations to  vice.  The  savor  of  such  goodness  in  this  evil  world  is 
like  some  fragrance  borne  down  to  us  from  the  fields  of  paradise. 
It  comforts  us  to  see  that  fallen  human  nature  can  be  so  redeemed. 
We  have  more  exalted  ideas  of  the  practical  possibilities  of  virtue 
in  our  race. The  declaration  that  the  day  of  one’s  death  is  bet- 

ter than  the  day  of  one’s  birth  seems  by  its  connection  here  to  be 
made  concerning  the  good  man  specially — the  man  who  both  has 
and  deserves  to  have  a good  name.  As  to  him  it  is  true ; for  birth 
opens  to  him  the  era  of  conflict,  trial,  temptation,  contingency; 
but  death  closes  the  scene  with  victory ; — all  perils  over,  all  con- 
flicts past,  and  the  great  problem  of  life  wrought  out  with  glorious 
success.  These  views  are  surely  not  too  high  for  the  age  of  Sol- 
omon, nor  for  his  personal  wisdom ; for  they  appear  in  the  utter- 
ances of  some  of  the  sages  of  heathen  antiquity.  “Judge  of  my 
principles  and  of  my  life,”  said  one  of  them,  “when  you  have  seen 
me  die.” 

2.  It  is  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning,  than  to 
go  to  the  house  of  feasting:  for  that  is  the  end  of  all  men  ; 
and  the  living  will  lay  it  to  his  heart. 

3.  Sorrow  is  better  than  laughter : for  by  the  sadness  of 
the  countenance  the  heart  is  made  better. 

4.  The  heart  of  the  wise  is  in  the  house  of  mourning ; 
but  the  heart  of  fools  is  in  the  house  of  mirth. 

Since  every  man  must  die  and  knows  he  must,  it  is  good  for 
him  to  refleet  upon  this  fact.  The  scenes  of  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing lead  the  mind  to  such  reflections.  It  is  wholesome  for  every 
living  man  to  cherish  them  in  his  heart.  Sorrow  may  make  the 


276 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


countenance  sad,  but  it  makes  the  heart  better.  Sympathy  with 
those  who  are  suffering  griefs  known  to  be  the  common  lot  of 
mankind  serves  to  soften  hearts  otherwise  hard,  and  to  bind  more 
closely  together  those  whom  the  selfish  collisions  of  life  are  wont 
to  sever  and  keep  asunder.  Moreover,  the  grave  gives  us  our  best 
lessons  on  the  value  of  time,  the  duties  of  life,  and  the  momen- 
tuous  issues  of  eternity.  Hence  it  is  that  wise  men  feel  at  home 
in  the  house  of  mourning  even  as  fools  do  in  the  house  of  mirth. 
The  wise  find  a congenial  atmosphere  in  the  one ; fools  in  the 
other.  Hence  whoever  aspires  to  wfisdom  should  put  himself  at 
school  with  the  wise,  where  they  love  to  be.  If  he  would  shun 
frivolity,  let  him  turn  his  steps  far  away  from  the  house  of  mirth. 

Some  of  the  critics  think  it  essential  to  the  explanation  of 

these  verses  to  assume  that  the  external  circumstances  of  the  wri- 
ter were  depressing  and  afflictive,  and  that  for  this  reason  he  took 
this  morbidly  sombre  view  of  life,  feeling  that  death  was  better 
than  such  a suffering  existence.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  just 
views  of  life  as  a scene  of  moral  conflict  will  adequately  account 
for  these  words.  With  such  views  men  readily  feel  the  immense 
value  of  those  considerations  which  are  naturally  suggested  by 
scenes  of  mourning  and  death.  Whoever  is  manfully  struggling 
upward  in  virtue  and  girding  his  soul  against  temptation’s  power 
will  surely  find  the  better  elements  of  his  moral  nature  quickened 
in  the  presence  of  death  and  the  grave.  He  will  be  conscious  of 
something  there  congenial  to  virtue.  Hence  we  may  ascribe  these 
remarks  to  Solomon’s  profound  wisdom  rather  than  to  any  specially 
afflictive  circumstances,  or  to  a positive  weariness  of  life. 

5.  It  is  better  to  hear  the  rebuke  of  the  wise,  than  for  a 
man  to  hear  the  song  of  fools. 

6.  For  as  the  crackling  of  thorns  under  a pot,  so  is  the 
laughter  of  the  fool : this  also  is  vanity. 

Quite  in  harmony  (morally)  with  the  superior  value  of  mourning 
to  mirth,  is  this  next  thought.  Listen  to  rebuke  from  wise  men 
rather  than  to  flattery  from  fools.  It  will  do  you  more  good.  You 
arc  not  yet  perfect,  and  the  discreet  rebuke  of  the  wise  may  help 
you  upward.  The  praise  of  fools  might  inflate  your  vanity;  and 
even  if  their  wit  should  seem  to  sparkle,  and  its  light  should  flare 
up  brilliantly,  the  wise  Solomon  will  abate  your  high  appreciation 
of  it  by  reminding  you  that  the  crackling  of  thorns  under  a pot  is 
of  the  same  sort,  equally  flashy  and  equally  transient,  vapid  and 
delusive.  There  are  few  men  more  dangerous  in  society  than 
those  whose  wit  and  laughter  foster  giddy  mirth  and  repel  all 
serious  thought.  Solomon  had  seen  such  men  and  had  marked 
their  influence  adverse  to  true  wisdom. It  is  not  perhaps  abso- 

lutely certain  that  “ the  song  of  fools,”  as  spoken  of  here,  involves 
flattery  and  praise,  a “plaudit  song,”  as  Prof.  Stuart  calls  it;  but 
the  antithesis  with  the  rebuke  of  the  wise  suggests  this  and  renders 
it  probable.  On  the  other  hand,  laughter  and  the  crackling  of 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


277 


thorns  under  a pot  carry  the  mind  to  the  usual  manifestations  of 

giddy  mirth. The  figure  of  thorns,  burning  under  a pot,  is  quite 

oriental — the  scarcity  of  fuel  there  and  the  abundance  of  thorn- 
bushes  rendering  this  a very  familiar  scene. 

7.  Surely  oppression  maketh  a wise  man  mad ; and  a gift 
destroy eth  the  heart. 

The  main  question  of  interpretation  here  is  whether  the  wise 
man  made  mad  by  oppression  is  the  oppressor  or  the  oppressed — 
the  master  or  the  slave.  It  is  somewhat  common  to  assume  the 
latter,  in  the  sense  that  being  oppressed  drives  men  to  rash  and 
unwise  resistance.  But  without  doubt  Solomon  speaks  here  of  the 
oppressor  and  not  of  the  oppressed.  For  the  word  he  uses,  rendered 
“ maketh  mad,”  does  not  mean  to  make  impatient,  furious,  revenge- 
ful, but,  to  make  infatuated,  to  cause  to  play  the  fool.  And  this 
expresses  most  appositely  the  reflex  influence  of  being  an  oppressor. 
No  better  illustration  of  it  ever  need  be  sought  in  history  than  the 
American  people  have  seen  in  the  slaveholders  of  our  country. 
Were  ever  a class  of  men  more  thoroughly  infatuated  than  they? 
Have  men  ever  made  more  egregious  blunders  in  their  policy  for 
upholding  their  cherished  system  of  human  bondage?  Verily,  so 
far  as  concerns  the  influence  upon  wisdom  in  the  sense  of  sagacity, 
the  slaveholder  as  compared  with  the  slave  has  incomparably  the 
worst  of  it,  and  as  to  the  influence  upon  general  character,  morals, 
and  virtue,  the  same  must  be  said.  The  party  that  are  made  fools 

by  oppression  are  not  the  oppressed  but  are  the  oppressors. 

Yet  again,  the  parallelism  in  the  verse  sustains  the  same  construc- 
tion. The  gift  or  bribe  that  corrupts  the  heart  contemplates  the 
case  of  the’ruler  or  judge — the  same  who  is  supposed  to  be  guilty 
of  oppressing.  It  perverts  a man’s  heart  to  receive  a bribe,  just  as 
it  does  to  lend  himself  to  oppressing  his  fellow  men  for  his  own 
selfish  ends.  Prof.  Stuart  supposes  the  wise  man  thought  of  here  to 
be  precisely  the  “Hakim” — the  Arabic  name  for  the  judge  and 
the  Hebrew  word  used  here.  He  thinks  that  this  case  comes  in 
here  as  a tacit  exception  to  what  he  had  said  (v.  5)  of  the  value 
of  rebukes  from  wise  men.  As  much  as  to  say — While  the  judi- 
cious rebukes  of  the  wise  are  useful,  yet,  when  the  wise  man  gives 
way  to  the  temptation  to  oppress  his  fellow  men,  it  makes  him  a 
fool.  If  he  touch  a bribe,  his  wise  heart  is  at  once  corrupted, 
destroyed.  Alas,  this  is  but  too  true  ! 

8.  Better  is  the  end  of  a thing  than  the  beginning  thereof : 
and  the  patient  in  spirit  is  better  than  the  proud  in  spirit. 

The  first  clause  3f  this  verse,  standing  apart  from  any  connection 
might  apply  to  many  things ; but  standing  here  with  the  case  of 
the  oppressor  before  it,  and  the  comparison  between  the  patient 
and  the  proud  of  spirit  after  it,  and  indeed  in  some  sense  parallel 
in  sentiment,  we  must  construe  it  as  having  reference  to  the  case  of 
the  oppressor  and  the  oppressed.  In  this  connection  the  author 


278 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


seems  to  mean  this  : If  you  would  form  your  opinion  of  the  effects 
of  oppression  upon  the  parties  involved,  judge  not  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  thing,  but  from  the  end  thereof.  Wait  patiently  and 
see  how  they  come  out  at  last.  Mark  and  see  if  it  fares  well  with 
the  oppressor  in  the  latter  end.  Note  how  it  debases  his  better 
feelings,  fosters  his  basest  passions,  perverts  his  judgment,  and 
makes  him  play  the  fool,  and  thus  precipitate  upon  himself  the 
judgments  of  Almighty  God  for  the  sin  of  oppression.  The  latter 
end  of  the  case  will  give  you  a far  better  insight  than  the  beginning 
of  it,  into  the  terrible  curses  which  a career  of  oppression  is  sure  to 
bring  upon  its  author. — — Here  also  American  slavery  is  a wonder- 
ful chapter  of  illustrative  examples.  During  several  generations 
at  the  beginning  it  seemed  that  oppression  was  strangely  success- 
ful— pouring  wealth,  luxury,  social  prestige,  and  political  power 
into  the  lap  of  the  oppressor ; — but  what  of  the  latter  end  thereof? 
What  now  of  the  wealth  and  the  political  power  of  which  slavery 

vaunted  itself  so  long? In  the  last  clause  we  might  suppose 

the  writer  would  set  the  impatient  and  irascible,  by  name,  over 
against  the  patient ; but  instead  of  this,  with  the  far-seeing  eye  of 
a wise  man,  he  puts  his  finger  not  on  the  effect  but  on  the  cause. 
He  knows  very  well  that  under  oppression  it  is  the  proud  in  spirit 
who  become  impatient  and  will  not  brook  abuse.  So  he  says  it  is 
better  to  be  patient  under  inflicted  wrongs  than  to  be  too  proud  to 
bear  them  meekly.  He  assumes  that  the  proud  in  spirit  will  fire 
up  in  resistance  and  revenge;  but  as  against  civil  authority  it  is 
plain  he  does  not  recommend  such  resistance.  It  is  better  to  bide 
God’s  time  for  setting  right  these  grievous  wrongs  of  a wicked 
world. 

9.  Be  not  hasty  in  thy  spirit  to  be  angry  : for  anger  rest- 
eth  in  the  bosom  of  fools. 

This  reason  assigned  against  indulging  hasty  anger  is  very  strik- 
ing, viz.:  that  such  anger  finds  its  native  home,  its  resting  and 
abiding  place,  in  the  bosom  of  fools.  It  is  not  the  dictate  of  pru- 
dence and  wisdom,  but  of  thoughtlessness  and  of  unwisdom. 
Therefore,  as  you  would  be  wise  and  would  have  the  good  of  your 
wisdom,  guard  against  sudden  outbursts  of  anger.  Under  its  im- 
pulses you  will  be  very  sure  to  do  what  you  will  have  occasion  to 
regret  most  bitterly. 

10.  Say  not  thou,  What  is  the  cause  that  the  former  days 
were  better  than  these?  for  thou  dost  not  inquire  wisely 
concerning  this. 

The  word  “wisely”  (“inquire  wisely”)  does  not  qualify  the 
manner  of  pressing  this  inquiry,  but  the  origin  or  occasion  of  mak- 
ing it.  As  the  marginal  reading  suggests,  the  original  might  be 
lendered,  “not  out  of  wisdom,”  i.  e .,  not  from  or  because  of  wisdom 
dost  thou  raise  this  inquiry.  His  meaning  is  that  the  underlying 
assumption  that  the  present  age  has  degenerated  below  the  stand- 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


279 


ard  of  past  ages,  implies  a distorted  vision — an  over-estimate  of 
present  evils  and  an  under-estimate  of  present  good.  He  would 
suggest  to  us  that  former  ages  had  their  evil  as  well  as  their  good 
points,  and  that  to  compare  the  past  with  the  present  wisely  will 
require  a cool  judgment  and  a clear-sighted  eye.  The  mistake  to 
which  he  refers  here  comes  very  often  from  the  heavy  pressure  of 
some  present  evil.  Sometimes  the  aged  make  it  because  the  former 
was  the  time  of  their  activities;  the  present  of  their  repose;  and 
they  are  prone  to  feel  that  things  were  better  done  in  those  times 
when  their  hand  was  prominent  than  now  when  they  are  only 
lookers-on.  Solomon  does  not  give  such  a judgment  of  things  the 

credit  of  wisdom. On  the  other  hand  national  degeneracy  may 

sometimes  be  a real  fact,  and  in  such  a case  good  men  ought  to  see 
it,  study  its  causes,  and  labor  to  withstand  their  influence.  It  is 
certainly  supposable  that  there  was  more  real  degeneracy  in  the 
latter  part  of  Solomon’s  reign  than  he  was  himself  fully  aware  of, 
and  hence  more  ground  for  this  inquiry  into  its  causes  than  he 
seems  to  recognize. 

11.  Wisdom  is  good  with  an  inheritance:  and  by  it  there 
is  profit  to  them  that  see  the  sun. 

The  author  does  not  mean  that  wisdom  is  good  provided  you 
have  wealth  with  it,  for  this  would  imply  that  it  is  not  good  with- 
out wealth — a sentiment  which  he  distinctly  discards.  (See  chap. 
4:  13  and  9:  15-17.)  But  he  means  that  wisdom  is  good  along 
with  and  equally  with  an  inheritance — should  be  accounted  a posi- 
tive good  as  truly  as  wealth  and  of  as  high  an  order.  Indeed  the 
last  clause  affirms  that  wisdom  is  even  better  than  wealth,  and 
affirms  this  universally  as  to  all  the  living,  who  are  described  here 
as  those  that  see  the  sun. 

12.  For  wisdom  is  a defense,  and  money  is  a defense  : but 
the  excellency  of  knowledge  is,  that  wisdom  giveth  life  to 
them  that  have  it. 

The  Hebrew  of  the  first  clause  is  very  peculiar,  running  thus  : 
“For  in  the  shadow  of  wisdom,  in  the  shadow  of  money,”  implying 
that  both  forms  of  expression  are  used  and  are  true;  that  both 
wisdom  and  wealth  afford  men  their  shadow  for  protection  from 
the  heats  and  evils  of  life.  In  the  climate  of  Palestine  a shadow 
becomes  a pertinent  figure  for  protection,  and  the  more  so  because 
the  great  evils  sent  on  men  are  so  often  presented  under  the  figure 

of  heat  and  fire. “Giveth  life  ” can  not  be  here  in  the  sense  of 

imparting  it  by  creation  or  by  resurrection ; but  either  in  the  sense 
of  giving  real  life — the  truest  and  best  happiness,  or  in  the  sense  of 
preserving  life  in  seasons  of  peril.  The  words  will  bear  either 
sense,  and  both  are  true. 

13.  Consider  the  work  of  God  : for  who  can  make  that 
straight,  which  he  hath  made  crooked? 


280 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


Here  is  scope  for  wisdom — not  to  fathom  the  work  of  God ; much 
less  to  counteract,  resist,  or  change  it;  but  to  see  clearly  that  nc 
such  thing  is  possible  to  mortals.  (See  chap.  1:15  and  notes  there.) 
I understand  this  work  of  God  to  be  his  ways  in  providence,  with 
special  reference  to  those  arrangements  which  may  seem  to  us  tc 
be  out  of  joint,  distorted,  because  they  spare  the  wicked  and  afflict 
the  righteous;  and  possibly  referring  also  to  those  disruptions  in 
the  physical  order  of  the  world  which  bring  calamities  in  their 
train;  e.  g .,  tempests,  earthquakes,  plagues,  etc.  These  things 
men  are  prone  to  account  u crooked ;”  but  if  so,  who  can  make  them 
straight?  It  is  most  wise  for  man  to  recognize  God’s  hand  in  these 
things  and  bow  submissively  to  his  known  wisdom,  however  in- 
scrutable it  may  be  to  our  present  vision.  Let  it  be  forever  settled 
in  our  mind  that  the  Great  God  evermore  doeth  all  things  well. 
Hengstenberg  has  well  said : “Because  no  one  can  withstand  God, 
no  one  therefore  should  wish  to.  We  ought  to  humble  ourselves 
with  joy  beneath  the  almighty  hand  of  God.  For,  as  the  Almighty 
One,  he  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  all  wisdom,  all  love,  all  righte- 
ousness. Almighty  arbitrariness  is  inconceivable.” Perhaps  it 

were  better  to  say,  insupposable . i.  e utterly  at  variance  with  every 
just  notion  of  wisdom  and  of  love. 

14.  In  the  day  of  prosperity  be  joyful,  but  in  the  day  of 
adversity  consider:  God  also  hath  set  the  one  over  against 
the  other,  to  the  end  that  man  should  find  nothing  after 
him. 

The  u work  of  God,”  just  alluded  to,  fills  human  life  with  various 
and  even  contrasted  scenes  of  prosperity  and  adversity.  Hence 
adjust  thyself  to  them  as  they  occur.  In  the  day  of  prosperity 
rejoice,  thankful  for  the  good  which  the  Lord  bestows  in  his  loving 
kindness.  In  the  day  of  adversity,  give  thyself  much  to  thoughtful 
reflection,  if  so  be  thou  mayest  discover  in  thy  heart  or  life  the 
occasion  of  the  Lord’s  chastisements.  Moreover,  God  hath  set 
prosperity  so  over  against  adversity,  arranging  them  in  such  un^ 
certain  succession  that  no  man  can  surely  anticipate  what  is  next. 
Let  every  man,  therefore,  be  prepared  for  either.  With  a filial, 
obedient  trust  in  God,  he  need  not  fear,  for  the  worst  that  can 
come  will  only  bring  him  nearer  to  God  and  be  therefore  a bless 
ing ; but  in  the  attitude  of  rebellion  against  God  and  in  the  selfish 
struggle  after  good  that  is  only  of  this  world,  man  is  prepared  for 
neither.  Whichever  may  come,  it  will  prove  only  a curse  to  his 

soul. The  dark  uncertainty  expressed  in  the  last  clause — No 

man  can  know  whether  good  or  ill  is  coming  upon  him  hereafter 
— was  designed  to  bear  specially  upon  the  pleasure-loving  and 
seeking  class  who  make  earthly  good  their  great  end  of  life.  In 
such  a w'orld,  so  governed  of  God,  how  surely  they  must  miss  the 
end  they  seek  and  at  last  bewail  their  failure  and  their  folly ! 

15.  All  things  have  I seen  in  the  days  of  my  vanity  . 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


281 


there  is  a just  man  that  perisheth  in  his  righteousness,  and 
there  is  a wicked  man  that  prolongeth  his  life  in  his  wick* 
edness : 

The  doctrine  of  this  verse  is  that  moral  retribution  is  not  per- 
fect in  this  life;  that  length  of  days,  and  by  implication  other 
forms  of  good  and  ill  as  well,  do  not  befall  men  precisely  accord- 
ing to  their  moral  character.  I have  looked  through  this  whole 
matter,  says  Solomon;  I have  seen  it  in  all  its  phases  during  my 
vain,  fleeting  life.  I have  seen  the  righteous  perish  (by  persecu- 
tion perhaps)  in  his  righteousness  and  even  because  of  it:  and  I 
have  seen  wicked  men  prolong  their  days  both  in  their  sins  and 
despite  of  them.  It  can  not  therefore  be  claimed  that  God’s  moral 
administration  is  finished  and  perfect  in  the  present  life.  These 

anomalous  cases  do  certainly  occur;  I have  seen  them  all. In 

the  first  clause  the  Hebrew  requires,  not  u all  things,”  but  all  this ; 
literally,  uthe  all  have  I seen,”  etc.,  i.  e .,  all  these  varieties  and 
anomalies  in  the  allotment  of  human  destiny  on  earth. 

16.  Be  not  righteous  over  much,  neither  make  thyself 
over  wise : why  shouldest  thou  destroy  thyself? 

It  is  not  supposable  that  this  can  be  a caution  against  too  much 
genuine  righteousness  or  too  much  true  wisdom;  i,  e you  can 
not  suppose  it  unless  you  assume  that  the  author  is  very  shaky 
in  his  own  moral  principles.  It  is  not  charitable  to  assume  this 
unless  there  be  an  imperative  demand  for  it.  The  better  con- 
struction therefore  is — Be  not  self-righteous , be  not  vain  of  your 
righteousness ; do  not  make  it  obtrusive  and  repulsive. Prob- 

ably this  verse  must  be  assumed  to  have  so  much  connection  with 
the  preceding  one  as  to  contemplate  a period  of  persecution  for 
righteousness’  sake.  In  this  view  his  meaning  might  be  : Do  not 
obtrude  your  righteousness  offensively  upon  the  enemies  of  God 
and  of  all  righteousness  ; do  not  make  a useless  display  of  it  to 

provoke  persecution. In  the  clause  which  speaks  of  wisdom, 

the  form  of  the  Hebrew  verb  very  often  means,  to  make  a vain 
show,  a foolish  display.  Such  a course  under  the  circumstances 
contemplated  would  precipitate  persecution  and  the  unwise  man 
might  become  the  occasion  of  his  own  destruction.  The  fact  that 
the  verb  rendered  “ over  wise  ” naturally  has  this  sense  of  vain 
display  favors  the  same  construction  of  what  is  said  of  being 
righteous.  But  the  passage  has  real  difficulties.  It  is  not  easy 
to  account  for  a state  of  persecution  for  righteousness’  sake,  such 
as  v.  15  seems  to  assume. 

17.  Be  not  over  much  wicked,  neither  be  thou  foolish : 
why  shouldest  thou  die  before  thy  time  ? 

Neither  do  thou  rush  into  the  opposite  extreme  as  a means  of 
greater  safety.  Fools  have  their  own  ways  to  perish : why 
shouldest  thou  hasten  the  time  of  thine  own  death  by  thine  own 


282 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


folly? Although  it  be  true  as  is  implied  in  v.  15,  that  the 

wicked  man  sometimes  prolongs  life  in  spite  of  his  wickedness, 
yet  take  care  not  to  abuse  this  fact  by  overdoing  your  wickedness. 
Such  folly  will  insure  and  precipitate  your  ruin.  More  especially 
under  the  ancient  economy — generally,  in  every  age.  the  outrage- 
ously wicked  do  not  live  out  half  their  days. 

18.  It  is  good  that  thou  shouldest  take  hold  of  this;  yea, 
also  from  this  withdraw  not  thine  hand  : for  he  that  fear- 
eth  God  shall  come  forth  of  them  all. 

The  cautions  given  in  vs.  16  and  IT  are  here  reaffirmed  for  the 
sake  of  deeper  impression.  It  is  good  that  thou  take  firm  hold  of 
what  I have  said  about  being  righteous  and  wise ; also  that  thou 
draw  not  back  thy  hand  from  my  caution  against  extreme,  out- 
rageous wickedness  and  folly.  He  that  feareth  God  will  come 
forth  safe  from  all  these  perils,  and  (by  implication)  will  avoid  the 
mistakes  (or  sins)  which  I exhort  thee  not  to  commit.  This  last 
clause,  implying  that  if  a man  really  fears  God  he  will  not  be 
righteous  over  much  nor  wicked  over  much  and  will  consequently 
escape  the  ruin  which  follows  either,  shows  plainly  that  in  the 
author’s  view,  the  sense  and  spirit  of  his  precepts  are  in  harmony 

with  sound  morals  and  true  piety. Some  have  supposed  that 

these  cautions  against  over  much  righteousness  and  wickedness 
were  bona  fide  instructions  for  magistrates — on  the  one  hand 
against  being  too  exacting  and  rigorous ; and  on  the  other,  against 
being  too  lax,  corrupt  and  foolish — to  which  construction  I have 
two  objections:  (1.)  That  there  is  nothing  in  the  passage  or  its 
context  to  suggest,  much  less  to  restrict,  its  special  application  to 
magistrates;  and  (2.)  In  this  application  its  tone  of  morality 
would  be  repulsively  low.  Law  and  right  would  cease  to  be  the 
magistrate’s  rule  and  guide.  He  would  be  required  to  consult  his 
personal  welfare  only. 

19.  Wisdom  strengtheneth  the  wise  more  than  ten  mighty 
men  which  are  in  the  city. 

Wisdom  affords  protection  to  the  wise  man.  The  11  mighty  men  ” 
here  are  probably  captains,  chieftains,  and  perhaps  the  implication 

is,  at  the  head  of  their  commands. u Ten,”  for  an  indefinite  but 

very  considerable  number,  supposed  to  be  the  garrison  of  a city. 
The  same  sentiment  appears  in  Prov.  21  : 22  and  24:  5,  6 and  also 
in  Eccl.  9 : 16,  18. 

20.  For  there  is  not  a just  man  upon  earth,  that  doeth 
good,  and  sinneth  not. 

The  word  rendered  “sinneth”  means  primarily,  to  miss  the 
mark,  to  mistake,  to  err  . and  secondarily,  to  sin.  Here,  standing 
in  contrast  with  “doing  good,”  it  should  naturally  take  the  sense 
of  sinning. The  connection  of  thought  is  difficult  and  has  been 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


283 


understood  variously.  If  the  first  word  means  “ for,”*  it  naturally 
connects  this  verse  with  the  preceding,  and  then  might  imply  that 
the  best  of  wise  men  sometimes  need  their  wisdom  for  protection, 
since  they  are  not  always  sinlessly  wise,  but  sometimes  make  mis- 
takes or  commit  sins  which  involve  them  in  difficulty. On  the 

other  hand  if  this  first  word,  rendered  “ for,”  means  here  surely , 
as  it  possibly  may  at  the  beginning  of  a sentence,  then  a new 
subject  may  be  introduced,  thus : Surely  the  best  of  men  some- 
times sin ; therefore  be  not  over  anxious  to  hear  all  that  may  be 
said  of  thyself;  thy  mistakes  and  faults  will  sometimes  provoke 
severe  remarks  from  even  thy  servants  which  it  were  quite  as 

pleasant  for  thee  not  to  hear. This  construction  seems  to  be 

admissible.  The  pertinent  sense  which  it  brings  out  is  its  chief 
recommendation.  The  common  usage  of  the  word  “ for  ” favors 
the  former. 

21.  Also  take  no  heed  unto  all  words  that  are  spoken  ; 
lest  thou  hear  thy  servant  curse  thee  : 

22.  For  oftentimes  also  thine  own  heart  knoweth  that 
thou  thyself  likewise  hast  cursed  others. 

Let  the  consciousness  that  thou  thyself  hast  sometimes  spoken 
too  severely  of  others  admonish  thee  to  expect  the  same  of  other 
men  and  even  of  servants  toward  thyself,  and  let  it  make  thee 

content  not  to  inquire  very  carefully  into  all  they  may  say. 

May  we  not  suppose  that  in  the  latter  years  of  Solomon’s  life, 
there  were  whisperings  of  dissatisfaction  with  his  course,  which 
sometimes  came  to  his  ears,  and  which  may  have  suggested  this 

counsel?  The  same  remark  might  apply  to  v.  10  above* As 

suggested  in  the  general  introduction,  the  reader  will  note  here 
that  the  parties  specially  addressed  are  not  the  common  people, 
not  the  toiling  millions ; but  men  high  in  rank  or  in  wealth,  for 
they  have  “ servants.” 

23.  All  this  have  I proved  by  wisdom : I said,  I will  be 
wise ; but  it  was  far  from  me. 

24.  That  which  is  far  off,  and  exceeding  deep,  who  can 
find  it  out? 

“Proved”  in  the  sense  of  assayed,  tried  as  metals  are  tested 
in  the  crucible.  Despite  of  my  best  efforts  to  gain  absolute  wis- 
dom, I found  it  still  far  from  me. Another  turn  is  given  by 

some  to  the  first  clause  of  v.  24,  thus:  “Far  off  is  that  which  is” 
i.  e .,  the  real  entity  of  things,  their  essential  nature  ; and  deep, 
deep  is  it;  who  can  find  it  out?”  The  order  of  the  words  in  the 
Hebrew  somewhat  favors  this  construction;  but  its  abstruseness 
makes  it  very  doubtful. The  usage  of  representing  things  diffi- 

cult of  comprehension  as  being  far  off,  deep  or  high  beyond  our 
reach,  appears  in  Deut.  30:  11-14  and  Rom.  10:  6-8 — said  there 


284 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VII. 


negatively  of  the  precepts  of  God’s  law  and  gospel.  These  are 
declared  to  be  “not  hidden  from  thee” — not  “far  off” — not  “in 
heaven  that  thou  shouldst  say,  Who  shall  go  up  into  heaven  tc 
bring  them  down,”  etc. 

25.  I applied  mine  heart  to  know,  and  to  search,  and  to 
seek  out  wisdom,  and  the  reason  of  things , and  to  know 
the  wickedness  of  folly,  even  of  foolishness  and  madness: 

A more  close  rendering  will  give  the  nicer  shades  of  the  orig- 
inal, thus:  “I  turned  myself  round  and  round,  even  my  heart 
did,  to  know  and  to  search  and  to  seek  out  wisdom  and  intelli- 
gence, and  to  know  wickedness  as  folly,  and  this  folly  as  mad- 
ness ” — i.  e.,  to  know  wickedness  in  its  true  character  as  folly, 
and  this  folly  to  be  real  madness. 

26.  And  I find  more  bitter  than  death  the  woman,  whose 
heart  is  snares  and  nets,  and  her  hands  as  bands  : whoso 
pleaseth  God  shall  escape  from  her ; but  the  sinner  shall 
be  taken  by  her. 

This  testimony  as  to  the  vile  woman  who  sets  herself  to  seduce 
the  other  sex  to  their  ruin  is  expanded  yet  more  fully  in  Prov.  5. 
She  is  there  called  “ the  strange  woman,”  i.  e .,  a foreigner,  from 
other  lands — which  indicates  the  depth  of  licentiousness  and  pol- 
lution to  which  the  heathen  of  adjacent  countries  in  that  age  had 
sunk.  Jewish  history  abounds  with  facts  to  the  same  purport. 
It  is  deplorable  that  Solomon  should  have  had  so  much  personal 
experience  of  the  depravity  of  the  “outlandish  women”  of  his 
time.  (See  Neh.  13:  26.) 

27.  Behold,  this  have  I found,  saith  the  Preacher, 
counting  one  by  one,  to  find  out  the  account ; 

The  Hebrew  phrase  translated  in  the  English  version,  “ count- 
ing one  by  one,”  may  mean  either,  taking  up  one  thing  at  a time 
for  special  investigation,  or  applying  one  thing  to  another  by  com- 
parison. Literally  it  is — “one  to  one  to  find  out  deep  knowledge.” 
It  defines  the  method  of  his  investigation. 

28.  Which  yet  my  soul  seeketh,  but  I find  not : one 
man  among  a thousand  have  I found  ; but  a woman  among 
all  those  have  I not  found. 

In  a thousand  he  has  found  one  good  and  true  man,  "but  not 
one  good  and  true  woman.  Alas!  that  he  should  have  thrown 
bimself  into  the  society  of  such  women — “strange  women!” 
Alas!  that  he  should  have  put  himself  into  such  relations  to  seven 
hundred  wives  and  three  hundred  concubines!  (L  K.  11:  3.) 
How  could  he  hope  to  find  one  good  and  true  woman  even  in  all 
this  host  while  he  held  them  in  such  relations  to  himself!  Not 
ono  of  them  all  had  any  right  to  feel  that  she  enjoyed  his  love, 


ECCLESIASTES— CITAP.  VIII. 


285 


confidence,  and  fidelity  as  a true  husband.  This  testimony  of 
Solomon,  therefore,  so  far  from  bearing  to  the  dishonor  of  the  sex 
as  such,  bears  only  to  the  condemnation  of  polygamy  and  to  the 
exposure  of  the  wretchedly  low  morals  of  the  outlying  countries, 
long  polluted  by  the  basest  forms  of  idol  worship  and  by  their 
attendant  abominations. 

29.  Lo,  this  only  have  I found,  that  God  hath  made  man 
upright ; but  they  have  sought  out  many  inventions. 

“ Inventions,”  not  in  the  arts — the  handicrafts  of  li-fe,  but  in  the 
science  of  sinning,  in  devices  for  the  perpetration  of  iniquity.  God 
made  man  upright;  but  man,  falling  from  his  primeval  purity, 
had  strangely  prostituted  his  powers  to  sinning,  to  devising 
methods  of  selfish  gratification,  schemes  of  fraud,  treachery,  pol- 
lution, the  covering  up  of  iniquity ; the  means  of  being  in  fact 
intensely  wicked,  and  yet  of  retaining  the  semblance  of  virtue. 
Ah,  how  does  it  tax  the  ingenuity  of  wicked  men  to  sustain  an 
appearance  of  virtue  so  unlike  the  foul  reality  of  their  vices ! 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

Wisdom  is  commended  (v.  1),  and  loyal  obedience  to  kings  (vs. 
2-5).  The  unknown  future  of  God’s  providence  may  frustrate  the 
schemes  of  man  (vs.  6,  7),  and  so  may  man’s  mortality  (v.  8). 
The  career  and  doom  of  wicked  rulers  appears  (vs.  9,  10),  whom 
the  delay  of  divine  retribution  encourages  onward  in  their  sin  (v. 
11).  The  imperfections  in  present  retribution  should  not  shake 
our  faith  in  God  nor  in  the  final  triumph  of  the  right  (vs.  12,  13), 
though  these  imperfections  are  often  exceedingly  trying  and  per- 
plexing (v.  14).  It  is  well  to  enjoy  the  daily  comforts  of  life  which 
God  assigns  us  and  provides  for  us  in  the  journey  of  life  (v.  15)  since 
no  reach  of  human  thought  can  fathom  the  depths  of  God’s  ways 
in  providence  (vs.  16,  it). 

1.  Who  is  as  the  wise  man  f and  who  knoweth  the  inter- 
pretation of  a thing?  a man’s  wisdom  maketh  his  face  to 
shine,  and  the  boldness  of  his  face  shall  be  changed. 

Who  can  compare  with  the  wise  man  ? Who  else  knows  the 
exposition  of  things,  i.  e.,  knows  how  to  explain  the  occult  causes 
of  events? — said  perhaps  with  an  eye  to  accounting  for  the  per- 
mission of  evil  under  the  government  of  God  (chap.  7 : 29) ; also, 
for  the  present  apparent  imperfections  in  God’s  moral  government 

and  in  the  retributions  due  for  sin. Wisdom  is  apparent  even  in  a 

man’s  face  to  whom  God  has  given  the  power  of  expressing  intef 


286 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VIII. 


licence  and  emotion.  It  makes  his  face  glow  with  the  radiance  of 
thought. The  last  clause  is  usually  construed  to  mean,  the  bra- 

zen impudence  of  folly  gives  place  to  the  mild  and  modest  expres- 
sion of  good  sense.  The  original  word  means  primarily  strength, 
fixedness,  and  may  perhaps  mean  here  that  the  stolid,  inexpressive 
face  becomes  through  wisdom  full  of  intellectual  and  benevolent 
expression ; a fact  often  noticeable,  and  certainly  worthy  of  remark 
by  such  a writer  in  such  a connection. 

2.  I counsel  thee  to  keep  the  king’s  commandment,  and. 
that  in  regard  of  the  oath  of  God. 

The  original  is  quite  abrupt,  having  no  verb  at  all  for  “ coun- 
sel.” “I — mark  the  mouth  of  the  king;”  i.  e .,  so  say  I.  And 
do  this,  not  merely  through  fear  of  his  displeasure,  but  because  of 
the  oath  of  God  which  binds  thee  to  loyal  obedience  to  thy  king. 

8.  Be  not  hasty  to  go  out  of  his  sight : stand  not  in  an 
evil  thing;  for  he  doeth  whatsoever  pleaseth  him. 

4.  Where  the  word  of  a king  is,  there  is  power:  and 
who  may  say  unto  him,  What  doest  thou  ? 

If  he  should  displease  you,  go  not  forth  from  his  presence  in 
rash  haste ; beware  that  you  make  no  expression  of  dislike,  much 
less  of  strong  passion  and  rage ; and  u persist  not  in  any  evil 
thing.”  If  you  are  in  the  wrong,  yield  and  be  not  obstinate  ; for 
he  will  do  what  he  pleases.  It  behooves  you  to  fear  his  absolute 
power,  and  to  adjust  yourself  to  it. In  the  middle  clause,  Stu- 

art prefers  this  sense,  viz. , “Do  not  make  delay  in  regard  to  a 
command  which  is  grievous;”  i.  e .,  obey  promptly,  even  an  un- 
just command. 1 see  no  occasion  to  give  the  words  this  mean- 

ing, and  the  idea  is  very  objectionable  and  should  not  be  assumed 

without  some  valid  reason. Hengstenberg  thinks  “the  king,” 

in  vs.  2-4,  is  God  himself ; but  there  is  no  indication  of  this ; while 
if  this  king  were  God,  we  might  expect  to  see  some  of  the  names 
of  God  applied  to  him.  Besides,  in  the  first  verse  of  the  passage 
both  God  and  the  king  are  introduced  separately;  you  should  obey 
your  king  because  of  your  oath  before  God.  Then  again,  if  this 
king  were  God,  how  could  the  subject — man — be  supposed  to  go 
forth  from  his  presence,  as  said  in  v.  3?  Well  might  he  exclaim 
— “Whither  shall  I go  from  thy  Spirit  ? Whither  shall  1 flee  from 
thy  presence?  (Ps.  139:  7.) 

5.  Whoso  keepeth  the  commandment  shall  feel  no  evil 
thing : and  a wise  man’s  heart  discerneth  both  time  and 
judgment. 

Obedience  to  the  king  will  shield  the  subject  from  the  evil  con- 
sequences which  surely  follow  disobedience.  Wisdom  will  teach 
him  what  befits  the  times  and  circumstances,  and  what  is  there- 
fore true  “judgment.” Solomon’s  own  relations  as  king  afforded 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VIII. 


287 


him  countless  illustrations  of  these  truths.  Very  probably  he  had 
sometimes  put  down  with  a strong  hand  the  uprisings  of  disaffec- 
tion. He  knew  that  such  a course  was  common  in  the  absolute 
governments  of  the  countries  adjacent. 

6.  Because  to  every  purpose  there  is  time  and  judgment, 
therefore  the  misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him. 

7.  For  he  knoweth  not  that  which  shall  be:  for  who  can 
fccll  him  when  it  shall  be  ? 

These  verses  have  been  construed  variously  by  good  critics.  It 
is  difficult  to  determine  satisfactorily  their  precise  significance. 
The  choice  seems  to  me  to  lie  between  these  two  constructions: 
(1.)  In  close  connection  with  the  preceding  context,  he  says  (v.  5) 
— A wise  man’s  heart  discerns  the  fit  time  and  way  of  doing 
things:  (v.  6)  and  because  success  depends  so  much  on  this  wis- 
dom as  to  judging  of  times  and  seasons  (and  because  so  few  have 
and  use  it),  therefore  the  misery  of  the  race  bears  heavily  upon 
them.  (V.  7)  For  man  can  know  the  future  but  very  imperfectly; 
for  who  can  tell  him  when  events  shall  occur  ? In  this  construc- 

tion the  connection  with  the  preceding  context  is  natural,  but  the 
connection  of  v.  7 with  v.  6,  though  not  bad,  is  yet  not  altogether 

faultless. (2.)  The  second  construction  makes  a very  peculiar 

connection  with  v.  5.  Passing  over  from  man’s  “ time  and  judgment  ” 
to  God’s  “ time  and  judgment,”  as  developed  in  his  providential  or- 
dering of  events,  it  supposes  that  the  writer  means  by  “a  time  for 
every  purpose  ” precisely  what  he  meant  in  chap.  3 : 1-10.  Because 
God  in  his  providence  determines  the  time  and  manner  of  all  events 
and  shapes  them  so  that  human  life  is  full  of  changes,  reverses, 
contrasts,  doings  and  undoings,  which  no  man  can  forecast  or  avert, 
therefore  the  calamities  of  man  are  great  on  the  earth;  (v.  7)  for 
man  can  not  know  what  is  yet  to  come  nor-  when.  The  future  is 

all  to  him  unknown. This  construction  has  in  its  favor  the  fact 

that  the  same  words  for  “ time  and  purpose  ” are  here  as  in  chap. 
3:1;  also  that  this  line  of  thought  makes  a perfect  connection 
between  v.  6 and  v.  7,  and  also  connects  naturally  with  v.  8.  In 
view  of  these  considerations,  I can  not  well  resist  the  conclusion 
that  this  is  what  the  author  means.  As  in  chap.  3:  1-10  his  in- 
ference from  the  views  there  taken  of  God’s  course  in  providence 
was — u What  profit  hath  he  that  worketh  in  that  wherein  he  la- 
boreth?”  i.  e.:  How  many  failures  continually  occur  in  human 
plans  because  God’s  over-ruling  plans  set  them  aside  and  baffle 
man’s  vain  purpose : How  can  man  accumulate  surely  according 
to  his  own  purposes  while  God’s  purposes  comprise  such  incessant 
undoing  of  man’s  doings?  So  here:  Because  God  gives  such 
shape  to  every  purpose,  so  often  disappointing  man;  “therefore 
the  misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him.” Of  course  this  is  look- 

ing upon  the  merely  human  side  of  things,  leaving  out  of  account 
for  the  time  the  great  fact  that  God  frustrates  human  plans  for 
purposes  both  wise  and  good,  i.  e .,  that  he  may  put  checks  upon 
13 


288 


ECCLESIASTES -CHAP.  VIII. 


the  spirit  of  mere  pleasure-seeking,  and  may  turn  man  s heart 
from  seeking  earthly  good  to  seeking  heavenly — to  make  earthly 
loss  conducive  to  heavenly  gain. Prof.  Stuart  gives  a very  dif- 

ferent turn  to  v.  6.  Because  man’s  sins  (not  his  misery)  are  great, 
therefore  God  has  a final  judgment  for  every  human  purpose  and 

act. But  this  accepts  an  unusual  instead  of  the  usual  sense 

of  the  word  rendered  “misery:”  makes  a very  bad  connection 
with  v.  7 : and  puts  a very  different  sense  upon  the  words,  “ time 
and  judgment,”  from  what  they  bear  in  v.  5.  These  circumstances 
conspire  to  set  aside  his  construction. 

8.  There  is  no  man  that  hath  power  over  the  spirit  to 
retain  the  spirit ; neither  hath  he  power  in  the  day  of  death; 
and  there  is  no  discharge  in  that  war;  neither  shall  wicked- 
ness deliver  those  that  are  given  to  it. 

From  the  general  truth  that  no  man  knows  the  future,  the  au- 
thor passes  to  the  specific  one,  that  no  man  can  resist  death.  It 
will  come  and  fulfill  the  mission  on  which  God  has  sent  it.  No 
man  hath  power  to  retain  his  spirit  when  God  summons  it  away. 
He  is  utterly  powerless  in  the  battle  with  death;  he  can  not  be 
exempted  or  discharged  in  that  war;  no  matter  how  wicked  he 
may  be,  how  desperate,  how  blasphemous,  how  malignant  toward 
God, — this  can  not  save  him  from  his  doom.  The  weakness  and 
frailty  of  man  before  the  stroke  of  death  are  analogous  to  his 

weakness  in  regard  to  knowledge  of  the  future. Prof.  Stuart 

translates—1  No  man  hath  power  over  the  wind  to  restrain  the 
wind,”  etc.,— apparently  overlooking  the  imperative  demands  of 
the  context  here,  which  certainly  treats  not  of  the  wind,  but  of 
the  immortal  spirit  of  the  dying  man. 

9.  All  this  have  I seen,  and  applied  my  heart  unto  every 
work  that  is  done  under  the  sun ; there  is  a time  wherein 
one  man  ruleth  over  another  to  his  own  hurt. 

“All  this  have  I seen,”  introduces  a slightly  different  subject — 
the  case  not  of  wicked  men  in  general,  but  of  wicked  rulers.— — 
In  the  last  clause  the  question  is  to  be  settled — For  ichose  hurt, 
that  of  the  ruler  or  of  the  ruled?  The  Hebrew  reads — “a  time 
when  man  rules  over  man  for  hurt  to  him” — the  nearest  antece- 
dent, and  that  therefore  to  which  “him”  should  refer,  being  the 
man  ruled  over.  The  case  is  that  of  a king  who  rules  to  the 
damage  or  ruin  of  his  subjects.  The  reflex  ruin  upon  himself  is 
secondary,  and  not  specially  referred  to  in  this  first  statement. 

10.  And  so  I saw  the  wicked  buried,  who  had  come  and 
gone  from  the  place  of  the  holy,  and  they  were  forgotten 
in  the  city  where  they  had  so  done : this  is  also  vanity. 

The  English  version — “who  had  come  and  gone  from  the  place 
of  the  holy” — represents  these  wicked  men  as  having  frequented 


ECCLESIASTES  -CHAP.  VIII. 


289 


utlie  place  of  the  holy  ” — with  probable  reference  to  their  worship- 
ing assemblies.  But  the  Hebrew  accents,  by  making  a long 
pause  after  “ come,”  are  against  this  construction,  and  the  words 
themselves  do  not  favor  it,  but  rather  suggest  this  as  the  sense: 
“And  so  I saw  these  wicked  ones  [rulers  especially]  buried,  and 
they  went  down,  i.  e .,  to  their  grave ; yea,  from  the  place  of  the 
holy  [their  tribunals  of  justice]  they  passed  away  [forever]  ; and 

they  who  had  done  so  were  forgotten  in  the  city.” This  is 

another  point  in  the  vanity  of  human  life — the  sad  end  and  the 
fearful  ruin  of  the  dead  sinner,  king  or  magistrate  though  he  may 
have  been.  For  though  gorgeously  buried,  yet  the  clearer  vision 
of  faith  sees  him  go  down  to  his  dishonored  grave,  passing  for 
evermore  away  from  the  society  and  communion  of  the  holy,  to 
be  quickly  forgotten  in  the  city  where  he  had  guiltily  oppressed 

the  innocent. It  is  noticeable  that  our  Lord  in  like  manner 

(Luke  16:  19-24)  represents  the  rich  man’s  burial  as  a notable 
event,  yet  his  soul  went  down  to  hell,  away  forever  from  the 

abodes  of  the  holy. The  verb  rendered  in  our  English  version, 

“had  come,”  is  used  naturally  of  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  and 

of  going  down  into  the  grave. Let  it  be  considered  moreover 

that  Solomon  does  not  speak  of  this  frustration  of  human  hopes  as 
a vanity  in  the  way  of  complaining  of  it  as  wrong.  He  simply 
adduces  it  as  one  illustration  of  the  utter  failure  of  the  wicked 
man’s  life.  Though  high  in  dignity  and  power,  yet  ruling  over 
other  men  to  their  hurt,  he  soon  ran  through  his  career ; went 
down  to  his  grave ; ceased  forever  to  be  seen  in  the  place  of  the 
holy ; and  was  speedily  forgotten.  This  is  indeed  a specimen  of 
vanity,  but  so  let  it  be ! 

11.  Because  sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not  executed 
speedily,  therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set 
in  them  to  do  evil. 

Hengstenberg  thus  translates : “ Because  a sentence  is  not  pro- 
nounced, the  work  of  wickedness  hasteneth  ; therefore  the  heart  of 
the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil.”  But  the  received 
English  version  gives  the  sense  well.  The  delay  in  God’s  retri- 
butive judgments  for  sin  emboldens  sinners;  they  madly  say — 
“Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming?  ” and  set  their  heart  fully  to 
the  doing  of  evil.  The  very  mercy  that  spares  the  sinner  to  give 
him  space  for  repentance,  he  abuses  and  perverts  to  bolder  sin,  to 
deeper  guilt,  and  to  a swift  and  more  terrible  doom.  Alas  ! for 
the  infatuation  of  sinners  ! What  can  divine  mercy  do  for  them 
more  with  honor  and  safety  when  the  merciful  delay  of  deserved 
retribution  results  only  in  more  desperate  sinning ! Scarcely  any 
words  in  this  book  evince  a more  just  appreciation  of  the  spirit  of 
wicked  men  than  these.  The  author  had  noted  closely  but  truth- 
fully how  wicked  men  abuse  God’s  mercy  and  provoke  his  wrath. 

12.  Though  a sinner  do  evil  a hundred  times,  and  his  days 


290 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VIII. 


be  prolonged,  yet  surely  I know  that  it  shall  be  well  with 
them  that  fear  God,  which  fear  before  him  : 

13.  But  it  shall  not  be  well  with  the  wicked,  neither  shall 
he  prolong  his  days,  which  are  as  a shadow;  because  he 
feareth  not  before  God. 

The  current  teaching  of  the  Old  Testament  is  that  the  sinner 
shall  not  but  the  righteous  shall  prolong  his  days  on  the  earth. 
No  doubt  this  was  usually  the  fact — that  dispensation  being  con- 
ducted largely  on  the  principle  of  a present  retribution.  Solomon 
here  says  that  though  there  may  be  an  apparent  exception  to  this 
rule  for  a season,  yet  it  must  be  short;  soon  the  rule  will  prevail; 
the  guilty  sinner  will  perish  in  his  sins  because  he  does  not  fear 

God. Remarkably  in  this  description  of  the  good  man  the  point 

of  his  fearing  God  is  repeated  for  the  greater  prominence  and 
emphasis:  “It  shall  be  well  with  the  fearers  of  God  who  truly  fear 

before  him.” “Days  which  are  as  the  shadow,”  is  the  common 

Hebrew  figure  for  a short,  evanescent  life.  (See  Psalms  144 : 4 and 
102:  11).  “Man  is  like  to  vanity;  his  days  are  as  a shadow  that 
passeth  away.” 

14.  There  is  a vanity  which  is  done  upon  the  earth ; that 
there  be  just  men , unto  whom  it  happeneth  according  to 
the  work  of  the  wicked  : again,  there  be  wicked  men , to 
whom  it  happeneth  according  to  the  work  of  the  righteous : 
I said  that  this  also  is  vanity. 

One  of  the  sore  trials  of  this  earthly  state  comes  from  what 
seems  to  be  an  imperfection  in  the  divine  administration  of  retri- 
butive justice.  It  seems  to  us  that  there  are  good  men  who  receive 
the  treatment  due  to  the  work  of  the  wicked,  and  also  bad  men 
who  have  the  reward  due  to  the  work  of  the  righteous.  So  unde- 
niably it  does  sometimes  seem  to  mortals.  God’s  moral  government 
over  men  is  not  complete  and  finished  in  this  world.  Its  retribu- 
tions are  allotted  only  in  part  here ; the  unfinished  part  lies  over 
to  the  future  world.  Under  the  clearer  revelations  of  the  New 
Testament  some  points  are  explained  which  must  have  been  very 
perplexing  to  such  minds  as  Solomon’s.  In  this  later  light  we  can 
see  that  God  shapes  this  present  world  precisely  for  probation,  and 
not  for  full  retribution  ; that  he  presents  himself  before  us  in  the 
very  forms  which  most  thoroughly  test  our  faith,  our  docility,  our 
obedience;  which  reveal  enough  for  us  to  know  to  meet  these 
most  vital  ends  and  reserve  the  rest  for  the  fuller  light  of  eternity. 
He  gives  us  illustrations  of  his  righteous  justice,  abundantly  suffi- 
cient to  satisfy  the  candid  and  honest  mind,  yet  not  so  much  as 
to  leave  no  scope  for  the  exercise  of  candor,  honesty,  and  docility. 
When  men  intensely  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  they  can  and 
will  have  darkness  and  not  light. Another  fact  of  vast  impor- 

tance to  the  explanation  of  these  apparent  anomalies  in  God’s 
dealings  with  men,  is  that  he  continually  blends  together  discipline 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VIII. 


291 


and  partial  retribution,  sending  afflictions  upon  men  for  both  these 
purposes,  and  perhaps  giving  us  no  definite  marks  by  which  to 
distinguish  the  one  from  the  other.  Hence  we  often  mistake  God’s 
thought  entirely.  The  pains  which  he  sends  upon  the  good  for 
discipline  we  may  mistake  for  retribution  and  assume  to  be  only 
tokens  of  his  wrath.  The  good  things  he  grants  to  the  wicked  may 
be  for  their  moral  trial,  and  in  no  sense  a proof  of  his  approba- 
tion. These  points,  brief  compared  with  the  magnitude  of  the 
subject,  bear  upon  the  just  explanation  of  those  apparent  anomalies 
in  the  present  administration  of  God’s  moral  government  over  the 
race  to  which  our  passage  alludes. 

15.  Then  I commended  mirth,  because  a man  hath  no 
better  thing  under  the  sun,  than  to  eat,  and  to  drink,  and 
to  be  merry  : for  that  shall  abide  with  him  of  his  labor  the 
days  of  his  life,  which  God  giveth  him  under  the  sun. 

Mirth  is  not  the  best  word  here,  because  being  merry  and  mirth- 
ful involve  commonly  the  idea  of  frivolity — the  absence  of  all 
serious  thought  and  of  all  sense  of  our  relations  to  God.  Enjoy- 
ment, rejoicing,  give  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew  much  better.  This 
Hebrew  word  is  used  more  than  any  other  for  “rejoicing  before  the 
Lord,”  and  “ rejoicing  in  the  Lord,”  especially  in  sacred  worship 
and  in  grateful  praise  and  trust;  e.  g .,  Lev  23  : 40  and  Deut.  12 : 7, 
12,  18,  and  Ps.  9:  2 and  32:  11  and  85:  6,  etc.  Solomon  com- 
mends the  free-hearted  and  cheerful  enjoyment  of  our  daily  bread 
and  of  all  the  good  which  God  provides  for  in  our  physical  consti- 
tution, for  this  remains  with  us,  cleaves  to  us  as  the  good  of  our 
labor  while  we  live.  Yet  he  carefully  suggests  that  it  is  God  who 
gives  us  this  life  and  all  its  enjoyments.  They  should  therefore 
be  accepted  and  enjoyed  as  his  gifts  in  the  spirit  of  filial  obedience 

and  true  gratitude. The  same  sentiment  has  appeared  before, 

chap.  2:  24  and  3:  12,  13,  22,  guarded  there,  moreover,  against 
abuse  by  the  same  beautiful  and  pertinent  suggestion  that  this  is 
u the  gift  of  God,”  and  that  we  have  even  these  most  common 
blessings  of  life  from  his  gracious  hand  and  parental  heart. 

16.  When  I applied  mine  heart  to  know  wisdom,  and  to 
see  the  business  that  is  done  upon  the  earth;  (for  also 
there  is  that  neither  day  nor  night  seeth  sleep  with  his  eyes :) 

17.  Then  I beheld  all  the  work  of  God,  that  a man  can 
not  find  out  the  work  that  is  done  under  the  sun : because 
though  a man  labor  to  seek  it  out,  yet  he  shall  not  find  it; 
yea  further ; though  a wise  man  think  to  know  it , yet  shall 
he  not  be  able  to  find  it. 

11  To  see  the  business.”  The  word  for  “ business  ” is  the  same 
which  is  rendered  “travail”  in  chap.  2:  26  and  3:  10,  having 
obviously  here  the  same  sense  as  there,  viz.:  selfish,  pleasure-seek- 
ing toil  for  earthly  good — thought  of,  moreover,  as  altogether 


292 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  VIII. 


unavailing,  futile,  and  vain.  Solomon  applied  his  mind  to  com- 
prehend by  deep  research  the  methods,  the  laws,  and  the  results 
of  such  intense  pursuit  of  worldly  good.  He  saw  some  men  over- 
tasking themselves  so  utterly  that  day  and  night  they  had  no  sleep. 
When  he  came  to  study  this  pleasure-seeking  toil  and  travail  in 
the  light  of  God’s  works  in  providence,  so  conducted  as  usually  to 
frustrate  human  calculations  and  baffle  the  most  persistent  and 
pains-taking  endeavors,  he  found  himself  unable  to  fathom  these 
depths.  With  all  his  labor  he  could  not  master  this  vast  and 
complicated  problem.  There  would  be  things  occurring  under  the 

providence  of  God  that  were  too  deep  for  him. Plainly  “ the 

work  of  God,”  which  is  the  subject  of  remark  in  v.  IT,  is  the 
same  which  is  spoken  of  in  chap.  3 : 1-15,  viz.:  those  agencies  in 
providence  which  shape  man’s  earthly  destiny  and  usually  frustrate 
his  pursuit  of  worldly  good,  despite  of  his  shrewdest  plans  and 

most  laborious  efforts. It  is  a great  deep,  too  great  for  human 

wisdom,  unaided  of  God  himself,  to  fathom.  Revelations  from 
God,  made  subsequent  to  the  age  of  Solomon,  have  brought  up 
many  things  out  of  those  otherwise  unfathomable  depths;  yet  still 
when  we  seek  to  apply  these  more  full  revelations  to  specific  cases, 
we  are  often  compelled  to  desist,  saying : “Who  by  searching  can 
find  out  God?  Who  can  find  out  the  Almighty  unto  perfection?” 

A mournful  interest  attaches  to  the  efforts  of  such  a mind  as 

Solomon’s,  reaching  forth  and  tasking  its  gigantic  powers  to  the 
utmost  to  master  this  great  problem  of  God’s  ways  in  providence 
as  bearing  upon  the  life-long  efforts  of  men  to  secure  worldly  good. 
All  that  mortal  man  could  do  with  such  light  from  revelation  as 
he  had  before  him.  we  may  suppose  he  achieved.  Yet  after  his 
utmost  outreachings  of  thought,  how  did  he  perpetually  fall  back 

upon  the  sad  conclusion — no  human  wisdom  can  find  it  out ! 

Let  us  not  omit  to  notice  that  these  confessions  and  statements  are 
the  very  things  to  say  to  the  pleasure-seeking  men  for  whom  Solo- 
mon was  specially  writing.  Nothing  else  could  give  them  a deeper 
impression  of  the  utter  futility  of  the  selfish  pursuit  of  worldly 
good.  I can  not  tell  you  altogether  how  or  why  it  is,  but  so  it  is 
(Solomon  would  say  to  them),  you  can  not  withstand  the  Infinite 
God  ! His  providential  government  of  this  world  will  surely  frus- 
trate your  pleasure-seeking  endeavors  and  your  utmost  grasping 
after  worldly  good.  The  Almighty  One  is  against  you  and  you 
can  not  prosper.  I can  not  fathom  the  mystery  of  this  great  fact; 
I can  give  you  no  clew  to  the  understanding  of  it  so  that  you  can 
master  the  problem  and  devise  means  to  counter-work  its  untoward 
influences.  The  thing  is  too  deep  for  me.  There  is,  therefore,  no 
help  for  you  but  to  desist  from  such  a life,  be  content  with  the 
moderate  pleasures  which  God  freely  bestows,  and  above  all,  “ fear 
God  and  keep  his  commandments.” 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IX. 


293 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  subject  under  discussion  at  the  close  of  chapter  8 is  con- 
tinued. God  shapes  the  destiny  of  the  righteous  (v.  1);  yet  even 
they  are  in  some  respects  under  the  common  law  that  controls 
the  life  and  death  of  all  men  in  this  world  (v.  2).  This  law,  af- 
fecting the  good  and  the  bad  uniformly,  seems  to  be  in  some  re- 
spects an  evil  (v.  3).  Thought  of  strictly  with  reference  to  this 
world,  death  brings  an  end  to  all  labor,  and  all  knowledge  and 
reward  (vs.  4-6);  therefore  let  men  accept  in  quiet  and  grateful 
enjoyment  the  good  things  of  earth  which  God  bestows  (vs.  7-9), 
and  do  what  belongs  to  this  life  with  all  diligence  (v.  10),  for  all 
human  labors  are  contingent  and  uncertain  in  their  results  (vs. 
11,12).  Wisdom  is  even  better  than  strength,  though  not  always 
duly  honored  (vs.  13-18). 

1.  For  all  this  I considered  in  my  heart  even  to  declare 
all  this,  that  the  righteous,  and  the  wise,  and  their  works, 
are  in  the  hand  of  God : no  man  knoweth  either  love  or 
hatred  by  all  that  is  before  them. 

Critics  give  the  word  for  “ declare/'  the  sense  of  u search  out.”  ' 
u 1 applied  all  this  to  my  heart ; I brought  it  home  to  my  mind, 
to  search  it  out  thoroughly  [and  I found]  that  “the  righteous,  the 
wise,  and  their  works  are  in  the  hand  of  God”  who  cares  for  them 
and  shapes  their  destinies  in  his  love  and  wisdom.  Also  this  did 
I search  out,  viz.,  that  no  man  knoweth  either  love  or  hatred  as  to 
all  that  is  before  him;  i.  e.,  he  does  not  know  beforehand  which 
he  shall  receive  from  his  fellow-men ; their  love  or  their  hatred. 

The  future  is  all  unknown  to  him. Neither  the  Hebrew  accents 

nor  the  words  of  the  passage  favor  the  English  version — uby  all 
that  is  before  them.”  There  is  no  word  meaning  “ by."  It  is 
better  therefore  to  read  either — in  respect  to  all  that  is  before 
them ; or,  as  a distinct  sentence : u No  man  knoweth  either  love 

or  hatred;  all  is  before  them,”  i.  e .,  in  the  unknown  future. 

This  testimony  respecting  the  righteous  is  peculiarly  grateful  in 
such  a connection  as  this,  not  only  because  this  truth  is  inexpres- 
sibly precious  at  all  times  and  under  all  possible  circumstances, 
but  because  it  is  refreshing  to  see  that  the  author  in  the  depth  of 
his  perplexities  in  reference  to  both  God’s  providential  and  moral 
government  over  men,  when  facing  events  and  complications  which 
tasked  his  mind  to  the  utmost,  could  yet  fall  back  upon  this  pre- 
cious truth — that  the  righteous,  the  wise,  and  their  works,  are  all 
in  the  hand  of  God,  the  object  of  his  unceasing  love  and  care. 

2.  All  things  come  alike  to  all : there  is  one  event  to  the 
righteous  and  to  the  wicked  ; to  the  good,  and  to  the  clean, 
and  to  the  unclean  ; to  him  that  sacrificeth,  and  to  him 


294 


ECCLESIASTES — CHAP.  IX. 


that  sacrificeth  not : as  is  the  good,  so  is  the  sinner ; and 
he  that  sweareth,  as  he  that  feareth  an  oath. 

What  are  these  “all  things?”  What  is  the  author  thinking  of, 
and  of  what  things  does  he  affirm  that  they  befall  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked  alike  and  without  discrimination  as  to  their  character 
and  relations  ? This  is  the  vital  point  in  the  interpretation  of  the 

passage. It  can  not  be  supposed  that  he  meant  to  say  that  the 

wicked  and  their  works  are  in  the  hand  of  God  in  the  same  sense 
in  which  he  affirms  this  of  the  righteous  and  the  wise.  If  he  had 
meant  this,  he  need  not  and  would  not  have  specified  the  right- 
eous especially  as  enjoying  this  care.  Nor  does  he  mean  to  say 
that  the  same  final  destiny  and  punishment  will  befall  both  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked  ; for  he  held  the  very  opposite  of  this. 
(See  chap.  8:  12,  13.) But  guided  by  the  context,  we  may  con- 

clude that  his  mind  is  upon  the  unknown  contingencies  of  this  mor- 
tal state.  No  man  knoweth  what  is  before  him  here  in  the  line  of 
the  good  or  evil  things  of  this  life.  Sickness,  suffering,  the  plague, 
the  cholera,  the  frailties  of  the  body,  the  infirmities  of  old  age,  and 
death  itself — all  these  evils  and  the  causes  that  produce  them,  be- 
fall every  class  of  men,  good  or  bad,  substantially  alike.  All  these 
things  come  under  one  common  law  of  our  present  earthly  state. 
The  Great  Father  “maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on 
the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust”  (Mat.  5 : 
45).  For  the  best  of  reasons  there  is  no  attempt  to  discriminate 
in  these  allotments  between  good  men  and  bad.  The  great  law 
of  our  present  existence — “ Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  thou  shalt 
return,”  makes  no  exception  in  favor  of  even  the  best  friends  of 
God.  To  this  great  universal  law,  1 understand  the  passage  be- 
fore us  to  allude. 

3.  This  is  an  evil  among  all  things  that  are  done  under 
the  sun,  that  there  is  one  event  unto  all : yea,  also  the  heart 
of  the  sons  of  men  is  full  of  evil,  and  madness  is  in  their 
heart  while  they  live,  and  after  that  they  go  to  the  dead. 

To  the  view  of  Solomon,  and  indeed  to  the  limited  views  of 
most  men,  it  will  seem  in  some  respects  an  evil,  that,  as  to  the 
points  here  considered,  the  lot  of  both  good  men  and  bad  is  com 
mon.  It  looks  as  though  God  had  no  special  favors  for  his  friends  ; 
no  special  displeasure  toward  his  enemies.  It  suggests  perhaps 
the  doubt  whether  there  be  indeed  a God  above  who  befriends  the 
righteous  and  is  displeased  with  the  wicked.  This  is  the  point 
that  troubles  the  author.  It  seems  to  him  that  one  result  of  this 
common  ordering  of  the  events  of  life  is  that  men’s  hearts  are  the 
more  full  of  evil  and  of  madness.  They  see  no  God.  Some  of 
the  greatest  events  of  human  life  disclose  no  moral  discrimination 
as  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked;  so  that  they  say — “It 
is  just  as  well  to  be  wicked  as  to  be  righteous;  we  shall  live  out 
our  time,  no  matter  how  wicked  we  may  be,  and  the  righteous  can 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IX. 


295 


fare  no  better  than  this.  We  see  no  retribution  for  sin  in  this  life  ; 
who  then  will  believe  that  there  is  any  to  be  feared  hereafter 

— if  indeed  there  be  any  hereafter  ? This  madness,  he  says, 

abides  in  them  long  as  they  live.  After  that — what  ? “ To  the 

dead ” [they  go].  The  omission  of  the  verb  go  in  the  original  is 
peculiarly  expressive:  “After  that — to  the  dead /” 

4.  For  to  him  that  is  joined  to  all  the  living  there  is 
hope  : for  a living  dog  is  better  than  a dead’  lion. 

For  the  verb  translated  “ is  joined,”  there  are  in  Hebrew  dif- 
ferent readings.  The  marginal  reading  transposes  the  first  two 
radical  letters  of  the  textual  reading.  Following  the  text,  we 
have  the  sense — “For  who  is  excepted?” — i.  e.,  not  included 
under  this  universal  doom  of  mortality.  The  marginal  reading, 
preferred  by  most  of  the  critics,  is  followed  by  the  English  and 
by  all  the  older  versions,  thus : — “ Whoever  is  still  attached  to  the 
living,  as  to  him  there  is  hope.”  The  meaning  seems  to  be — He 
is  an  object  of  trust;  more  or  less  confidence  may  be  reposed  in 
him;  he  is  something;  has  some  power  of  accomplishment,  for 
even  a dog,  contemptible  as  he  was  in  the  east,  could  do  more  and 
was  more  an  object  of  hope  or  of  fear,  than  a dead  lion.  This  is 
doubtless  a proverb.  The  author  meant  to  say  strongly  that  so 
far  as  this  world  is  concerned,  there  is  no  power  in  the  dead,  and 
therefore  no  ground  of  confidence  or  trust  in  them.  This  he 

proceeds  to  show  more  in  detail. This  word  rendered  “hope” 

occurs  elsewhere  only  in  Isa.  36 : 4 and  in  a parallel  passage  2 K. 
18 : 19.  “ What  confidence  [object  of  hope  or  trust]  is  this  wherein 

thou  trustedst?” 

5.  For  the  living  know  that  they  shall  die  : but  the 
dead  know  not  any  thing,  neither  have  they  any  more  a 
reward ; for  the  memory  of  them  is  forgotten. 

6.  Also  their  love,  and  their  hatred,  and  their  envy,  is 
now  perished  ; neither  have  they  any  more  a portion  for- 
ever in  any  thing  that  is  done  under  the  sun. 

The  difficulties  in  these  verses  come  of  assuming  that  they 
speak  of  the  future  state  and  particularly  of  the  condition  of 
human  souls  after  death.  Assuming  that  they  speak  of  souls  in 
respect  to  their  relations  to  the  future  world , we  are  troubled,  for 
the  author  seems  to  deny  to  them  consciousness,  knowledge  and 

reward,  if  not  even  existence. Prof.  Stuart  would  fain  get  over 

this  difficulty  by  supposing  that  these  are  the  words,  not  of  the 
author,  but  of  an  objector  to  his  doctrines:  Hengstenberg,  by 
saying — “ Such  is  the  language  of  natural  reason  to  whose  eye 
ali  seems  dark  and  gloomy  that,  lies  beyond  the  present  scene  be- 
cause it  fails  in  this  world  to  discern  the  traces  of  divine  retri- 
bution.” The -Spirit  says  on  the  contrary — “The  spirit  returns 
to  God  who  gave  it.” These  methods  are  essentially  the  same 


296 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IX. 


the  vital  point  in  each  being  that  these  are  not  the  sentiments  of 
the  author.  I have  more  difficulty  with  this  exposition  than  with 
the  passage  itself.  For  what  right  have  we  to  say  that  these  are 
not  the  words  of  the  author  ? He  has  given  us  no  hint  that  these 
are  some  other  man’s  words  and  not  his.  He  says  these  things 
just  as  he  says  all  the  other  things  in  his  book.  They  come  to  us 
with  the  same  external  evidence  to  prove  them  his  words  that  we 

have  for  any  thing  else  he  has  written. Let  us  rather  go  back 

to  the  root  of  this  difficulty.  As  said  above  it  lies  in  assuming 
that  the  author  is  here  giving  his  views  of  the  state  of  human 
souls  after  death  not  with  reference  to  this  world , hut  to  that  other 
world  whither  they  have  gone.  May  it  not  be  that  the  error  lies 
in  precisely  this  assumption,  and  that  the  relief  will  come  by  as- 
suming that  he  speaks  of  the  souls  of  the  dead  only  with  reference 
to  their  relations  to  this  present  world  of  ours  ? — — Let  us  con- 
sider carefully  the  thought  which  immediately  precedes ; a living 
dog  is  better  than  a dead  lion;  i.  e .,  better  for  any  effect  in  this 
world.  The  dead  animal — the  lion — had  incomparably  the  most 
power  while  he  lived.  But  now  that  he  is  dead,  nobody  fears 
him ; he  has  even  less  power  than  the  meanest  of  animals — a 
dog.  The  efficiency  of  the  dead  as  to  this  world — the  question 
whether  they  are  objects  of  fear  or  of  hope  here  in  time — is  the 

point  with  which  the  passage  opens. Mark  also  the  closing 

thought:  “Neither  have  they  any  more  a portion  forever  in  all 
that  is  done  under  the  sun.”  This  is  in  the  same  strain  with  which 
the  passage  opened  in  v.  4.  They  are  dead  as  to  all  things  here. 
How  much  soever  they  may,  like  Dives,  have  amassed  of  earthly 
good,  they  have  no  portion  in  it  or  of  it  for  evermore.  They  have 
no  agency  or  profit  in  any  thing  done  beneath  the  sun.  But  this 
(be  it  noticed)  does  not  say  they  have  no  portion  of  good  or  ill 

in  the  retributions  of  the  future  world. 1 give  below  a paraphrase 

of  these  two  verses  which  in  my  view  is  sustained  by  the  following 
considerations:  (1.)  As  already  intimated  it  is  in  harmony  with 
the  course  of  thought  with  which  the  passage  is  introduced  in  v. 

4 and  with  which  it  closes  in  v.  6. (2.)  It  coincides  with  the 

logic  of  the  passage  itself,  especially  in  the  last  half  of  v.  5. 

(3.)  It  relieves  the  passage  of  its  doctrinal  difficulties,  viz.,  its 
supposed  denial  of  a future  conscious  existence  and  its  contradic- 
tion of  the  great  doctrine  of  a future  retribution — a doctrine  which 

Solomon  in  this  very  book  affirms  with  most  solemn  emphasis. 

“ For  the  living  know  as  to  death  that  they  shall  die ; but  the  dead 
know  nothing  as  to  the  living,  nor  as  to  any  of  the  scenes  and 
events  of  this  earthly  life,  neither  have  they  any  more  reward  in 
the  line  of  fame  and  honor , for  the  memory  of  them  is  forgotten. 
They  may  have  labored  hard  for  an  immortal  name  among  the 
living  of  earth,  but  this  reward  fails  them,  for  no  remembrance 
of  them  long  survives  their  disappearance  from  among  men.  Also 
their  love  and  their  hatred  and  their  envy  have  long  ago  perished ; 
all  died  with  them  and  are  no  longer  of  the  least  concern  to  the 
living  whom  their  love  can  not  help  nor  their  hatred  harm; 


ECCLESIASTES -CHAP.  IX. 


297 


neither  have  they  any  longer  a portion  forever  in  all  that  is  done 
under  the  sun.  They  may  have  a portion  elsewhere;  of  that 
there  is  no  occasion  now  to  speak;  but  they  have  no  portion  in  the 
way  of  active  agency  or  proper  reward  in  anything  done  on  the 

earth.” This  paraphase  assumes  that  the  author  is  not  speaking 

at  all  of  the  departed  dead  with  reference  to  their  consciousness — • 
their  happiness  or  their  misery  in  that  other*world ; but  only  with 
refesence  to  their  relations  to  this  world  and  to  its  events  and  inter- 
ests.  The  reader  will  notice  especially  the  argument  in  v.  5. 

The  dead  know  nothing  and  have  no  more  reward  because  the  very 
memory  of  them  is  forgotten.  This  cause  is  not  that  they  have 
themselves  lost  all  memory  and  consciousness,  but  is  that  the 
living  men  of  this  world  have  lost  all  remembrance  of  them.  But  this 
is  no  reason  why  they  should  know  nothing  in  the  other  world ; it 
is  no  reason  why  they  have  no  more  a reward  in  that  other  world. 
The  reasoning  is  good  only  upon  the  assumption  that  the  author 
is  thinking  of  the  dead  in  view  of  their  relations  to  this  world  and 

not  to  the  world  to  come. 1 suggest,  moreover,  that  the  form  of 

the  statement — “The  dead  know  not  any  thing,”  is  determined  by 
a sort  of  antithesis  with  the  clause  immediately  before  it,  thus  : 
For  the  living  know  as  to  death  that  they  must  die;  but  the  dead 

know  as  to  what  transpires  here  not  any  thing  at  all. It  remains 

to  suggest  that  in  this  construction  the  passage  bears  most  pertinently 
and  forcibly  upon  the  vanity  of  laying  up  immense  stores  for  future 
enjoyment,  whether  in  the  line  of  wealth  or  of  posthumous  remem- 
brance and  fame.  Thousands  in  every  age  toil  to  accumulate 
indefinitely  more  than  they  could  ever  use  in  a century — to  whom 
Solomon  would  say  here : “What  will  all  that  wealth  avail  you 
after  you  are  dead  ? Other  thousands,  especially  in  the  ancient 
oriental  world,  exhausted  the  great  labors  of  a life-time  to  build 
mausoleums  and  tombs  for  themselves  that  should  immortalize 
their  names  among  the  living.  In  the  rocks  of  ancient  Petra,  the 
capital  of  Edom,  the  traveler  of  to-day  may  find  sepulchers  chis- 
elled out  in  the  eternal  rock,  witnessing  to  the  folly  of  some  Edom- 
ite sage  who  thought  he  might  thus  prevent  the  remembrance  of 
himself  from  being  ever  lost.  Or  go  to  Egypt;  study  her  pyramids 
and  the  testimony,  now  generally  accepted,  that  they  were  reared 
with  almost  infinite  labor,  each  to  be  the  burial  place  of  some  one 
man  (a  king  perhaps)  who  meant  to  defy  the  power  of  oblivion 
over  his  name  and  his  glory.  Alas,  was  there  not  occasion  enough 
to  say  to  such  men : “ The  dead  know  not  any  thing  of  what  trans- 
pires among  the  living;”  nor  have  they  any  more  a reward  on 
earth,  however  much  they  may  have  sought  it,  for  the  very  re- 
membrance of  them  is  perished,  however  stubbornly  they  may 
have  fought  against  this  result  and  labored  to  make  their  earthly 
name  immortal. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  Solomon  differs  entirely  from  those 
of  our  time  who  suppose  our  world  to  be  full  of  the  presence  and 
agency  of  departed  spirits — cognizant  of  all  that  transpires,  inter- 
meddling with  all  mundane  affairs,  manifesting  themselves  in 


298 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IX. 


rappings  and  thumpings,  in  table-tippings  and  answerings  from 
the  realms  of  the  dead.  Solomon’s  doctrine  squarely  denies  the 
possibility  of  any  such  thing. 

7.  Go  thy  way,  eat  thy  bread  with  joy,  and  drink  thy 
wine  with  a merry  heart;  for  God  now  accepteth  thy  works. 

8.  Let  thy  garments  be  always  white ; and  let  thy  head 
lack  no  ointment. 

9.  Live  joyfully  with  the  wife  whom  thou  lovest  all  the 
days  of  the  life  of  thy  vanity,  which  he  hath  given  thee 
under  the  sun,  all  the  days  of  thy  vanity : for  that  is  thy 
portion  in  this  life,  and  in  thy  labor  which  thou  takest  under 
the  sun. 

Here  is  a turn  in  the  course  of  thought.  The  author  would  say 
to  his  readers — Instead  of  toiling  hopelessly  and  vainly  for  huge 
masses  of  wealth  which  you  can  never  enjoy,  or  for  posthumous 
fame  and  glory  that  you  can  never  know  of  and  that  will  surely 
be  engulfed  and  sunk  under  the  waves  of  oblivion,  I counsel  you 
to  enjoy  with  quiet  satisfaction  your  daily  bread,  thankful  that 
God  accepts  your  work.  Let  your  garments  betoken  inward  purity 
and  true  joy;  living  happily  with  one  wife  (not  miserably  with 
many),  even  with  the  wife  whom  thou  lovest,  all  the  days  of  thy 
transient  life,  for  this  is  thy  portion  of  good  for  thy  labor  in  this 

earthly  life. We  have  met  substantially  the  same  counsel  in 

chap.  2:  24  and  3:  12,  13,  22,  and  5:  18,  19,  and  8:  15. 

“ Drink  thy  wine  with  a good  heart,”  better  expresses  the  Hebrew 

than  “merry.” “For  God  accepteth  thy  works;”  i.  e.}  provided 

they  are  done  in  the  spirit  here  enjoined. Garments  of  white 

were  for  joyful  occasions ; black  and  coarse  garments  betokened 
sadness  and  mourning.  White  was  the  natural  symbol  of  purity 
as  well  as  joy — indeed  of  purity  as  the  source  and  fountain  of 
joy.  The  reader  will  recall  the  white  robes  of  angels  and  saints 
as  seen  JVlk.  16:  5 and  Mat.  17 : 2 (the  transfiguration);  also  Rev. 

3:  4,  5 and  7:  9. Oil  upon  the  head  is  called  “the  oil  of  joy” 

(Isa.  61:  3)  and  the  oil  of  gladness  (Ps.  45:  7). This  testimony 

against  polygamy,  coming  from  Solomon,  is  specially  noticeable. 
Do  not,  as  I have  done,  multiply  wives  foolishly  and  wickedly,  to 
your  sorrow  and  to  the  poisoning  of  all  your  domestic  happiness  ; 
but  live  in  joy.with  the  wife  whom  thou  lovest,  for  such  is  the 
portion  God  giveth  thee  for  thy  labors  under  the  sun,  i.  e .,  in  this 
earthly  life.  Solomon  says  not  a word  in  all  this  book  in  com- 
mendation of  polygamy.  His  condemnation  of  his  own  course  in 
this  respect,  though  somewhat  indirect,  is  yet  decisive  and  emphatic. 

10.  Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy 
might ; for  there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor 
wisdom,  in  the  grave,  whither  thou  goest. . 

The  Hebrew  accents  favor  this  reading : — “ Whatsoever  thj 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  IX. 


299 


hand  findeth  to  do  with  thy  might,  do  it.”  Any  thing  that  cornea 
to  hand  so  that  you  can  take  hold  of  it  vigorously  and  do  it  to 
useful  purpose,  do  it  without  fail  or  delay.  Why?  Because  you 
can  not  resume  and  finish  it  in  that  grave — the  under-world — 
whither  thou  art  going.  He  does  not  mean  to  say  that  nothing  is 
done  there , in  that  other  world ; but  that  no  effort  of  yours,  how- 
ever wise  or  intelligent,  can  reach  back  from  that  world  to  this  to 
prosecute  and  complete  your  labors  left  unfinished  here  at  your 
death.  So  construed,  his  language  bears  to  the  point  in  hand — • 
viz.,  the  doing  of  whatever  work  God  gives  you  to  do  here  while 
your  life  and  life-power  may  last.— — The  reader  will  observe  that 
v.  10  and  also  vs.  7-9  confirm  the  construction  put  upon  vs.  4-6. 
Enjoy  and  accomplish  all  God  gives  you  to  enjoy  or  to  accomplish 
here , for  you  can  neither  do  or  enjoy  any  thing  as  to  this  world 
when  you  have  passed  away  from  earth. 

11.  I returned,  and  saw  under  the  sun,  that  the  race  is 
not  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong,  neither  yet 
bread  to  the  wise,  nor  yet  riches  to  men  of  understanding, 
nor  yet  favor  to  men  of  skill ; but  time  and  chance  hap- 
peneth  to  them  all. 

12.  For  man  also  knoweth  not  his  time  : as  the  fishes  that 
are  taken  in  an  evil  net,  and  as  the  birds  that  are  caught 
in  a snare  ; so  are  the  sons  of  men  snared  in  an  evil  time, 
when  it  falleth  suddenly  upon  them. 

Taking  still  another  and  a new  view  of  human  labor  (“  I turned 
and  saw”),  I observed  that  even  the  most  assiduous  and  well-di- 
rected efforts  of  men  sometimes  fail.  The  swiftest  do  not  always 
win  the  race;  the  strongest  lose  the  battle;  the  wisest  miss  their 
bread;  “time  and  chance”  seem  more  potent  over  human  destiny 
than  man’s  own  best  endeavors.  Casualties  will  happen;  no  man 
knows  his  hour  of  death;  the  snare  sometimes  falls  suddenly  on 
men  as  fishes  are  caught  in  a net ; so  that  we  must  admit  there  is 
an  overruling  power  higher  than  human  that  shapes  the  destiny 
of  men. 

13.  This  wisdom  have  I seen  also  under  the  sun,  and  it 
seemed  great  unto  me  : 

14.  There  was  a little  city,  and  few  men  within  it ; and 
there  came  a great  king  against  it,  and  besieged  it,  and 
built  great  bulwarks  against  it. 

15.  Now  there  was  found  in  it  a poor  wise  man,  and  he 
by  his  wisdom  delivered  the  city ; yet  no  man  remembered 
that  same  poor  man. 

Yet  wisdom  sometimes  accomplishes  most  extraordinary  feats 
of  success.  A poor  wise  man  saved  a little  city  against  a great 
king.  Yet,  much  as  this  poor  man  deserved  of  his  fellow-citizens, 


300 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  X. 


they  shamefully  forgot  him.  The  real  value  of  wisdom  often  fails 

of  being  duly  acknowledged. To  attempt,  as  some  critics  have 

done,  to  find  in  history  the  specific  city  here  referred  to  seems  to 
me  altogether  futile.  The  author  has  not  named  it;  how  then  can 
we  ? 

16.  Then  said  I,  Wisdom  is  better  than  strength : nev- 
ertheless the  poor  man’s  wisdom  is  despised,  and  his  words 
are  not  heard. 

17.  The  words  of  wise  men  are  heard  in  quiet  more  than 
the  cry  of  him  that  ruleth  among  fools. 

18.  Wisdom  is  better  than  weapons  of  war:  but  one  sin- 
ner destroyeth  much  good. 

In  the  phrase — “ The  words  of  wise  men  are  heard  in  quiet/'  it 
is  not  clear  in  the  English  version  whether  it  is  the  speaking  or 
the  hearing  that  is  done  “in  quiet."  The  Hebrew  shows  that  at 
least  the  hearing  is  done  in  quiet — i.  e .,  in  the  hour  of  calm  and 
thoughtful  stillness;  while  the  antithesis  with  the  boisterous  out- 
cry of  a foolish  king  among  fools  implies  that  the  wise  men 
thought  of  here  spake  also  in  a modest  and  quiet  way.  So  speak- 
ing and  so  being  heard,  their  words  have  great  force. Wisdom 

is  better  than  war-weapons,  even  in  the  defense  of  a city,  as  the 
case  above  cited  shows : over  against  which  stands  the  closing 
thought — “One  sinner" — a man  who  misses  the  mark  through  lack 
of  wisdom — “ destroyeth  much  good.”  “ Good  ” is  used  here,  not 
in  the  moral  but  in  the  physical  sense,  as  is  not  unfrequent  in 
this  author,  e.  g .,  chap.  6 : 6.  This  erring  and  wicked  man  des- 
troys cities  and  human  lives;  no  public  interests  are  safe  in  his 

hands. It  is  no  doubt  equally  true  that  one  sinner  destroys 

much  good  in  the  moral  sense — in  the  line  of  the  morals  and  the 
souls  of  men.  But  the  context  does  not  favor  this  sense  in  this 
passage. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

This  chapter,  closely  connected  with  the  preceding,  is  made  up 
of  miscellaneous  statements,  many  of  them  proverbial,  touching 
the  excellence  of  wisdom  and  the  mischief  of  folly. 

1.  Dead  flies  cause  the  ointment  of  the  apothecary  to 
send  forth  a stinking  savor : so  doth  a little  folly  him  that 
is  in  reputation  for  wisdom  and  honor. 

In  sentiment  this  verse  repeats  in  a different  form,  that  of  the 
clause  next  before  it  — 1 One  sinner  destroyeth  much  good.”  A 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  X. 


301 


little  folly  pollutes  and  mars  the  character  of  one  who  is  other- 
wise noble  in  point  of  wisdom  and  honor.  The  words,  “ in  repu- 
tation,” do  not  assume  that  this  is  reputation  merely  and  not  char- 
acter. The  Hebrew  says,  one  who  is  precious  (or  glorious)  in  re- 
spect to  wisdom  and  honor.  Even  upon  such  a man,  a little  folly 
acts  like  small  dead  flies  in  precious  ointment,  which  as  here  said 

(Heb.)  produce  fermentation  and  offensive  odor. The  world  is 

full  of  illustrations  of  this  sentiment.  It  is  obviously  and  pain- 
fully true  that  many  men  of  otherwise  noble  qualities  have  little 
foibles,  foolish  habits,  which  mar  their  character  and  greatly  dam- 
age their  influence. Probably  this  verse  and  many  others  in 

this  chapter  were  current  proverbs  in  the  days  of  the  author. 

2.  A wise  man’s  heart  is  at  his  right  hand  ; but  a fool’s 
heart  at  his  left. 

“ Heart,”  here,  as  often,  in  the  sense  of  understanding.  “At  the 
right  hand,”. means  skillful  and  adapted  for  ready  and  effective  use; 
“at  the  left” — awkward,  blundering,  unskilled.  Perhaps  the  pro- 
verb involves  also  the  old  idea  that  the  left  is  ill-starred,  of  evil 
omen,  unpropitious.  “ Seen  over  the  left,”  according  to  these  no- 
tions, was  a bad  omen.  The  two  ideas — unskillful  for  use,  and  of 
evil  augury — might  be  united  in  the  left.  So  the  fool’s  wit  is  of 
little  worth.  It  is  wanting  just  when  and  where  he  most  needs  it. 
He  seems  fated  to  blunder. 

3.  Yea  also,  when  he  that  is  a fool  walketh  by  the  way, 
his  wisdom  faileth  him , and  he  saith  to  every  one  that  he  is 
a fool. 

“ Walking  by  the  way  ” I take  to  mean  his  every-day  life,  rather 
than  precisely  his  passing  along  the  street,  although  the  latter  sense 
is  possible. — The  last  clause  is  ambiguous,  since  it  may  mean  either 
that  he  says  this  of  himself,  or  that  he  says  it  of  every  one  else. 
I incline  to  think  that  we  need  not  press  the  word  “say”  to  its 
strictest  literal  sense — that  of  using  these  very  words;  but  may 
take  it  to  mean,  He  seems  to  say ; he  shows  very  plainly — that  he 
is  a fool.  Then  the  verse  will  mean  that  in  the  common  affairs  of 
life,  the  fool’s  wisdom  fails  him  and  he  shows  himself  to  all  men 
to  be  a fool.  The  statement  is  more  universally  true  in  this  sense 
than  in  the  other,  for  it  is  scarcely  a fact  that  every  foolish  man 
says  of  every  man  he  meets,  Thou  art  a fool. 

4.  If  the  spirit  of  the  ruler  rise  up  against  thee,  leave  not 
thy  place ; for  yielding  pacifieth  great  offenses. 

“ The  ruler,”  the  one  before  spoken  of  (chap.  9:  17),  is  con- 
ceived of  as  a wicked,  foolish  man.  If  his  spirit  becomes  exas- 
perated against  thee,  leave  not  thy  standing,  i.  e.,  thy  steadfast- 
ness of  principle  and  of  self-possession  ; but  bear  thyself  meekly, 
modestly,  quietly  for  so  a spirit  otherwise  ripe  for  “ great  offenses  ” 


302 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  X. 


may  be  pacified.  The  “great  offenses”  are  thought  of  as  those  of 
the  ruler,  not  of  thyself,  the  party  addressed.  An  exasperated 
feeling,  ready  for  extreme  measures,  may  be  mollified  by  a meek 
and  gentle  deportment,  even  without  abandoning  any  thing  that 
is  right  and  true  in  thy  standing. 

5.  There  is  an  evil  which  I have  seen  under  the  sun,  as 
an  error  which  proceedeth  from  the  ruler : 

6.  Folly  is  set  in  great  dignity,  and  the  rich  sit  in  low 
place. 

7.  I have  seen  servants  upon  horses,  and  princes  walking 
as  servants  upon  the  earth. 

The  same  foolish  ruler  perpetrates  another  egregious  blunder 
which  is  a great  evil  in  affairs  of  state.  He  exalts  fools  (not  “ folly 11 
in  the  abstract)  to  many  high  places,  and  thrusts  down  the  rich 
(assumed  to  be  noble  and  worthy  men)  into  a low  place.  “ Ser- 
vants upon  horses”  are  in  positions  of  honor,  riding  on  horses  be- 
ing one  of  the  prerogatives  of  office  and  royalty ; while  princes  are 
seen  walking  like  servants  on  foot.  The  idea  is  that  the  foolish 
ruler  commits  a great  mistake  and  does  a great  evil  by  thrusting 

out  of  office  worthy  men  and  promoting  the  unworthy. This 

practice  has  always  been  common  in  the  despotic  goverments  of 
the  East.  Men  of  wealth  and  of  worth  are  hurled  out  of  office  for 
the  sake  of  confiscating  their  property,  and  men  of  low  rank  and 
of  no  merit  are  elevated  to  power.  No  wonder  Solomon  should 
account  it  a great  evil. 

8.  He  that  diggeth  a pit  shall  fall  into  it  ; and  whoso 
breaketh  a hedge,  a serpent  shall  bite  him. 

9.  Whoso  removeth  stones  shall  be  hurt  therewith;  and 
he  that  cleaveth  wood  shall  be  endangered  thereby. 

These  are  probably  proverbial  expressions.  The  digging  of  a 
pit,  i.  e.:  to  entrap  and  catch  wild  animals,  or  as  a snare  for  fel- 
low-men, would  expose  a man  to  fall  into  it  himself.  As  serpents 
found  their  hiding-place  in  hedges,  whoso  should  break  them 
would  expose  himself  to  be  bitten.  Both  these  acts  may  imply 
evil  intention,  and  so  would  challenge  the  retributions  of  justice. 
The  cases  made  in  v.  9 are  simply  difficult  but  useful  occupations 
which  require  skill  to  prevent  personal  harm.  Wisdom  is  profit- 
able to  direct  here,  as  well  as  in  the  case  next  mentioned. 

10.  If  the  iron  be  blunt,  and  he  do  not  whet  the  edge, 
then  must  he  put  to  more  strength : but  wisdom  is  profit- 
able to  direct. 

It  is  of  course  a case  of  wisdom  whether  it  will  pay  best  to 
sharpen  the  dull  tool,  or  to  put  in  the  requisite  additional  strength. 
The  case  is  adduced  simply  to  illustrate  the  practical  value  of 
wisdom. 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  X. 


303 


11.  Surely  the  serpent  will  bite  without  enchantment ; 
and  a babbler  is  no  better. 

Accepting  the  general  construction  which  appears  in  our  Eng- 
lish version,  I should  still  prefer  to  read  slanderer  rather  than 
“ babbler.”  It  is  the  slanderer  who  wall  bite  you  as  surely  as  the 
unenchanted  serpent  unless  you  have  the  wisdom  to  charm  him 
into  a better  spirit,  or  to  put  yourself  beyond  his  power  to  harm, 

The  Lexicons  of  Gesenius  and  of  Fuerst  give  to  the  phrase 

rendered  “babbler”*  the  sense  of  enchanter — one  who  has  the 
skill  to  charm  serpents.  I understand  them  to  give  the  passage 
this  construction : Inasmuch  as  the  serpent  will  bite  unless  en- 
chanted, there  is  no  advantage  to  the  enchanter  (i.  e.,  unless  he 
has  the  wisdom  to  use  his  skill  promptly  and  so  prevent  the  bit- 
ing). The  context  treats  of  the  superior  advantages  of  wisdom 
over  folty;  in  harmony  with  which  this  construction  would  be  in 
point.  The  objection  to  their  view  of  the  passage  is  that  it  re- 
quires so  much  to  be  supplied. 

12.  The  words  of  a wise  man’s  mouth  are  gracious ; but 
the  lips  of  a fool  will  swallow  up  himself. 

The  antithesis  here  lies  between  the  words  of  wise  men  and 
the  words  of  fools  in  the  point  of  value  and  of  results  to  them- 
selves. The  wise  man’s  words  are  gracious,  i.  e .,  pleasant,  agree- 
able, conciliatory,  winning  the  good  will  of  others  and  fraught 
with  good  to  himself.  On  the  contrary,  the  lips  of  a fool  (by 
means  of  his  foolish  words)  wTill  engulf  him  in  ruin.  His  indis- 
creet words  will  forever  frustrate  his  efforts  and  sink  his  cause. 

As  the  lips  are  associated  with  swallowing,  there  was  special  point 
in  using  this  term  to  denote  his  words.  His  lips  (by  virtue  of  the 
foolish  words  he  utters)  become  a vortex  to  engulf  the  miserable 
man  to  his  ruin! 

13.  The  beginning  of  the  words  of  his  mouth  is  foolish- 
ness : and  the  end  of  his  talk  is  mischievous  madness. 

His  talk  begins  with  folly  and  ends  with  ruinous  madness.  All 
is  folly,  only  waxing  more  and  more  so,  with  yet  more  ruinous 
consequences  to  himself. 

14.  A fool  also  is  full  of  words  : a man  can  not  tell 
what  shall  be : and  what  shall  be  after  him,  who  can  tell 
him  ? 

The  connection  between  the  first  clause  and  the  rest  of  the 
verse  may  be  either  that  the  fool  prates  excessively  about  the  un- 
known future,  building  air-castles  and  talking  boastfully  of  his 
great  plans;  or  that  his  talk  is  reckless  of  future  consequences. 
He  is  full  of  words  that  may  have  tremendous  power  against  him 

wbn  Sys  * 


S04 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  X. 


in  the  future,  and  yet  he  heeds  nothing.  The  latter  is  most  in 
keeping  with  the  course  of  thought  in  the  context. 

15.  The  labor  of  the  foolish  wearieth  every  one  of  them, 
because  he  knoweth  not  how  to  go  to  the  city. 

The  fool  works  at  immense  disadvantage  because  he  lacks  the 
wit  to  do  well  the  most  common  things — the  illustration  of  which 
is,  knowing  the  way  to  the  city — a thing  that  every  man  but  a fool 
would  be  supposed  to  know.  If  he  can  not  follow  the  great  thor- 
oughfare of  travel  where  every  body  walks,  what  does  he  know, 
and  what  can  he  do? 

16.  Woe  to  thee,  O land,  when  thy  king  is  a child,  and 
thy  princes  eat  in  the  morning! 

Wisdom  is  good  and  folly  especially  bad  in  the  case  of  kings . 
Alas!  for  the  land  whose  king  is  a child — not  in  years  so  much 
as  in  wisdom  and  especially  in  self-control.  As  to  age,  the  He- 
brew word  for  “child”  might  apply  to  any  period  from  two  years 
to  thirty;  but  in  such  a connection  it  has  the  sense  of  childishness. 
Isaiah  (3:  4)  uses  it:  “I  will  give  children  to  be  their  princes;” 

parallel  to  which  is  this:  “And  babes  shall  rule  over  them.” 

Early  breakfasts  were  not  in  good  repute,  nor  the  use  of  wine  in 
the  morning  hours  of  the  day.  References  to  the  use  of  wine 
early  in  the  day  may  be  seen  (Isa.  5:  11):  “Woe  unto  them  that 
rise  up  early  in  the  morning  that  they  may  follow  strong  drink,” 
etc.;  and  also  Ac.  2 : 15.  The  next  verse  shows  that  the  eating  here 
disapproved  is  feasting  coupled  with  the  use  of  wine. 

17.  Blessed  art  thou,  O land,  when  thy  king  is  the  son 
of  nobles,  and  thy  princes  eat  in  due  season,  for  strength, 
and  not  for  drunkenness  ! 

The  counterpart  of  v.  16,  this  pronounces  the  land  blessed  whose 
king  is  of  noble  birth,  and  whose  princes  eat  at  the  suitable  time, 
and  for  purposes  of  nutrition  and  physical  invigoration,  and  not 
for  banqueting  and  drinking  to  intoxication.  Gluttony  and  intem- 
perance in  strong  drink  least  of  all  become  kings — men  bearing 
responsibilities  so  grave  and  momentous.  “ It  is  not  for  kings,  O 
Lemuel,  it  is  not  for  kings  to  drink  wine,  nor  for  princes  strong 
drink,  lest  they  drink  and  forget  the  law  and  pervert  the  judg- 
ment of  any  of  the  afflicted  ” (Prov.  31 : 4). “ Thy  king  the 

son  of  nobles,”  reminds  us  that  in  the  authors  age  much  was 
thought  of  the  hereditary  rights  of  kings.  It  helped  to  dispose 

of  the  always  vexing  question  of  succession  to  the  crown. There 

is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  in  this  verse  and  the  preceding,  Solo- 
mon thinks  of  any  particular  countries.  His  remarks  apply  to  any 
country  whatever. 

18.  By  much  slothfulness  the  building  decayeth  ; and 
through  idleness  of  the  hands  the  house  droppeth  through. 


ECCLESIASTES— CIIAP.  X. 


305 


Slack  and  sluggish  hands  neglect  repairs  and  leave  the  timbers 
iff  the  house  to  rot  and  its  roof  to  leak. 

19.  A feast  is  made  for  laughter,  and  wine  maketh  merry  : 
but  money  answereth  all  things . 

Speaking  of  sensual  men,  the  meaning  seems  to  be  that  they 
pervert  even  their  common  meals  (Heb.  their  “bread”)  into 
laughter,  and  their  wine  (they  say)  makes  life  joyful ; their  money 
(they  being  rich)  answereth  all  purposes.  They  have  every  thing 
that  heart  can  wish.  The  description  obviously  looks  toward  the 
case  of  the  wealthy  who  indulge  in  gross  sensuality  in  their  feasts. 
The  next  verse  favors  the  supposition  that  he  has  in  mind  glutton- 
ous and  drunken  kings. 

20.  Curse  not  the  king,  no  not  in  thy  thought ; and  curse 
not  the  rich  in  thy  bed-chamber ; for  a bird  of  the  air  shall 
carry  the  voice,  and  that  which  hath  wings  shall  tell  the 
mattejr. 

Though  you  see  great  faults  in  your  king,  and  in  your  rich 
neighbors,  be  careful  how  you  give  utterance  to  severe  words 
against  them.  Some  unseen  bird  of  the  air  may  catch  and  carry 
the  sound,  and  your  indiscreet  words  may  involve  you  in  serious 

evil. The  word  rendered  “thought”  will  admit  the  sense — the 

place  of  thought,  the  study — corresponding  to  the  private  bed- 
chamber in  the  parallel  clause.  It  can  scarcely  mean,  in  thy 
unspoken  thought,  since  the  supposition  is  that  some  bird  of  the 

air  will  carry  the  voice — the  spoken  word. This  is  one  of  the 

precepts  of  wisdom.  Do  not  expose  yourself  to  collision  with  the 
powerful  by  needless  maledictions  upon  their  life,  even  though  it 

be  wicked  and  sensual. Solomon  may  have  been  aware  of  a 

growing  disaffection  toward  himself  and  his  administration — the 
same  which  developed  itself  so  manifestly  after  his  death.  How- 
ever this  may  have  been,  it  may  be  said  that  this  counsel  was  not  bad 
for  those  times  and  for  the  outlying  countries  where  kings  were  often 
immoral,  and  kingdoms  were  misgoverned,  and  where  moreover  no 
means  of  redress  for  these  grievances  lay  within  the  reach  of  the 
individual  subject.  Then  to  bear  in  silence  and  in  patience  was 
the  part  of  wisdom. 


306 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XI. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Critics  differ  somewhat  in  regard  to  the  course  of  thought  in 
vs.  1-6.  I understand  the  author  to  say — Prepare  for  the  disasters 
of  life  by  making  friends  with  your  benefactions  while  you  are 
prosperous  (v.  1):  multiply  those  friends,  for  evil  times  will  come 
(v.  2);  the  causes  of  great  calamities  are  inwrought  into  the  sys- 
tem of  this  sinning  world,  and  their  effects  are  more  than  tran- 
sient (v.  3) ; be  not  niggardly  in  this  outlay  for  insurance  against 
life’s  evils  (v.  4);  there  will  be  things  in  the  divine  administra- 
tion which  you  can  not  fathom  (v.  5) ; be  diligent  and  use  all 
appropriate  means  of  success  in  reliance  on  God  for  results  (v.  6). 

The  remaining  verses  of  the  chapter  are  in  another  strain. 

Life  is  precious  and  God  has  filled  this  world  with  many  sources 
of  pleasure ; yet  in  the  midst  of  your  joy,  forget  not  that  days  of 
darkness  will  come  (vs.  7,  8).  Let  the  young  man  enjoy  the  vigor 
of  youth  and  its  legitimate  pleasures,  yet  evermore  bearing  in 
mind  that  God  holds  him  responsible  for  all  his  moral  life  and 
will  bring  him  into  judgment  (v.  9).  Let  him  therefore  banish 
discontent  from  his  heart,  and,  observing  the  laws  of  health,  pro- 
long his  youthful  vigor  to  the  utmost,  for  childhood  and  youth  are 
subject  to  vanity — the  failure  and  loss  of  earthly  good  (v.  10). 

1.  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters  : for  thou  shalt  find  it 
after  many  days. 

The  figure  used  here  is  found  by  some  in  the  sowing  of  grain 
upon  the  fields  while  yet  under  water  in  the  process  of  irrigation,  or 
from  the  inundation  of  swollen  streams ; and  by  others  in  the 
freighting  of  grain  over  the  waters  to  distant  markets — the  returns 
from  which  might  be  only  “after  many  days.”  In  either  case 
“bread”  would  mean  the  grain  of  which  bread  is  made.  An  allu- 
sion to  commerce  seems  to  me  the  more  probable  as  being  more 
germain  to  Solomon’s  personal  life,  and  as  corresponding  somewhat 
better  with  the  terms  here  used.  If  seed-sowing  had  been  in 
mind,  he  would  naturally  have  said  “seed”  and  “sowing,”  as  in 
v.  6.  The  Hebrew  word  for  “ cast”  means  properly  “ send  forth,” 
and  applies  readily  to  the  freighting  of  a merchant  vessel  with 
grain  for  commerce.  The  history  records  that  Solomon’s  navy  of 
Tharshish  made  voyages  of  three  years’  duration  (1  K.  10:  22),  and 
that  in  his  trade  with  Tyre,  grain  was  one  of  his  staple  exports 
(IK.  5:  11).  Ezekiel’s  account  in  detail  of  the  trade  of  Tyre  is  to 

the  same  purport  (Ezek.  27 : 17). But  whichever  is  the  figure 

used,  the  sense  is  ultimately  the  same.  Dispense  thy  charities 
liberally  and  look  for  returns  in  the  distant  future.  The  policy  is 
the  same  which  his  lord  commended  in  his  unjust  steward  because 
he  had  done  wisely;  “making  to  one’s  self  friends  of  the  mammon 
of  unrighteousness,”  that  in  the  time  of  failure  “they  may  receive 
you  into  their  habitations.’’ 


ECCLESIASTES — CHAP.  XI. 


307 


2.  Give  a portion  to  seven,  and  also  to  eight ; for  thou 
knowest  not  what  evil  shall  be  upon  the  earth. 

“Give  a portion  to  seven” — the  usual  round  indefinite  number; 
but  do  not  stop  at  any  definite  point;  give  also  to  the  eighth  : and 
by  implication,  give  still  to  more  if  you  can ; for  which  the  reason 
here  assigned  is — “For  thou  knowest  not  what  evil  shall  be  upon 
the  earth.”  Evil  will  come;  you  can  not  forecast  its  precise  form 
cr  time ; therefore  be  in  readiness  by  having  previously  secured 

friends  to  stand  by  you  in  your  calamities. The  usage  of  definite 

numbers  for  the  indefinite  idea  of  many  is  very  common  in  the 
Hebrew  writings.  (See  Amos  1 : 3,  6,  9.)  “For  three  toansgres- 
sions  and  for  four.”  Also  Micah  5:  5.  “We  shall  raise  against 
him  seven  shepherds  and  eight  principal  men.”  AlsoProv.  30:  18, 
21,  24. 

3.  If  the  clouds  be  full  of  rain,  they  empty  themselves 
upon  the  earth : and  if  the  tree  fall  toward  the  south,  or 
toward  the  north,  in  the  place  where  the  tree  falleth,  there 
it  shall  be. 

Calamities  will  come  by  a common  law  of  human  life,  even 
as  great  storms  come  in  the  course  of  nature,  and,  coming,  hurl 
down  the  trees  of  the  forest  to  lie  where  they  fall.  That  is,  the 
effects  of  these  calamities  are  more  than  transient,  and  are  not 
easily  remedied.  Sometimes  these  calamities  come  in  clusters, 
reminding  us  of  the  adage — “It  never  rains  but  it  pours.”  Pro- 
vide, therefore,  wisely  and  abundantly  against  these  seasons  of 
disaster. 

4.  He  that  observeth  the  wind  shall  not  sow ; and  he 
that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap. 

This  and  many  other  sayings  in  this  connection  were  doubtless 
proverbs  in  current  use.  If  the  husbandman  was  too  particular  in 
regard  to  a favorable  state  of  the  wind,  he  might,  often,  miss  of 
sowing  at  all : if  he  studied  the  clouds  too  anxiously  he  would  not 
reap,  and  so  would  lose  all,  through  not  sowing  or  not  gathering 
in  his  harvests.  Sentiment:  Be  not  close  and  niggardly  in  pro- 
viding these  friends  against  your  time  of  need.  It  were  better 
to  run  some  small  risk  on  some  one  of  the  eight  or  twenty  than  to 
get  none  and  lose  all. 

5.  As  thou  knowest  not  what  is  the  way  of  the  spirit,  nor 
how  the  bones  do  grow  in  the  womb  of  her  that  is  with 
child : even  so  thou  knowest  not  the  works  of  God  who 
maketh  all. 

There  are  and  will  be  things  in  God’s  providential  administra- 
tion of  human  affairs  which  thou  canst  not  fathom  to  the  bottom — 
just  as  in  the  processes  of  nature  referred  to,  we  aro  compelled  to 


308 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XI. 


confess  our  ignorance.  Where  animal  life  come  from,  what  it  is 
in  its  essential  nature,  and  many  of  its  laws,  are  matters  too  deep 
for  our  philosophy. 

6.  In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening  with- 
hold not  thine  hand : for  thou  knowest  not  whether  shall 
prosper,  either  this  or  that,  or  whether  they  both  shall  he 
alike  good. 

Therefore  use  wisdom  and  all  due  diligence.  Let  no  hopeful 
means  of  good  be  omitted,  sowing  thy  seed  morning  by  morning, 
and  at  evening  still  let  thy  hand  be  active  and  thy  heart  earnest; 
for  thou  canst  not  tell  which  of  the  many  things  shall  be  success- 
ful. Do  your  whole  duty  and  then  calmly  leave  the  issues  with 

God. So  much  for  wisdom  in  the  affairs  of  life,  and  particularly 

in  making  provision  against  its  unknown  and  unavoidable  calami- 
ties. 

7.  Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  a pleasant  thing  it  is  for 
the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun  : 

8.  But  if  a man  live  many  years,  and  rejoice  in  them  all ; 
yet  let  him  remember  the  days  of  darkness ; for  they  shall 
be  many.  All  that  cometh  is  vanity. 

There  are  rich  comforts  and  joys  in  human  life,  and  some  of 
the  best  of  them,  like  the  light  of  day  and  the  sweetness  of  the 
sunshine,  are  open  to  the  masses  of  mankind — to  the  poor  no  less 
than  to  the  rich ; to  the  slave  and  to  the  subject  no  less  than  to 

the  master  and  to  the  king. But  if  a man  live  many  years  (as 

some  do  not),  let  him  rejoice  in  them  all ; yet  let  him  remember 
the  days  of  darkness  (calamity),  for  they  shall  be  many.  In  the 
midst  of  the  unbroken  joys  of  youth  and  of  prosperous  life,  let  no 
man  forget  that  far  other  scenes  may  be  before  him;  that  days  of 
darkness  will  follow  these  days  of  light,  for  they  surely  will,  and 
they  may  be  many.  All  that  cometh  is  subject  to  vanity.  It  has 
the  nature  of  intrinsic  emptiness  and  may  prove  an  utter  failure, 
despite  of  the  best  appearances  to-day. 

9.  Rejoice,  O young  man,  in  thy  youth;  and  let  thy  heart 
cheer  thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  and  walk  in  the  ways 
of  thine  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes  : but  know  thou, 
that  for  all  these  things  God  will  bring,  thee  into  judgment. 

10.  Therefore  remove  sorrow  from  thy  heart,  and  put 
away  evil  from  thy  flesh : for  childhood  and  youth  are 
vanity. 

Some  have  supposed  that  these  verses  are  solemn  irony.  Go  on, 
thou  young  man,  to  enjoy  thy  youthful  vigor;  make  thy  heart 
cheerful ; do  what  seemeth  good  in  thine  eyes  ; but  know  assuredly 
that  God  will  require  it  of  thee  in  the  judgment.  Know  thou  that 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XI. 


309 


for  this  .self-indulgence  thy  judgments  from  God’s  hand  must  be 
fearful  in  this  life,  and  yet  more  appalling  in  the  last  great  day ! 

So  it  has  been  sometimes  construed;  yet,  as  it  seems  to  me, 

erroneously.  For  (1.)  It  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  explain  the 
things  here  recommended  or  permitted  as  being  sinful.  It  is  not 
in  itself  sinful  that  a young  man  should  rejoice  in  his  youth — 
enjoying  his  youthful  vigor  and  health;  nor  that  his  heart  should 
be  cheerful ; nor  that  he  should  walk  in  ways  pleasant  and  agree- 
able to  himself,  in  harmony  with  the  laws  of  his  being,  provided, 
however,  always  that  he  regulate  his  pursuit  of  pleasure  by  a 
sense  of  his  moral  responsibilities  to  God.  It  is  vital  here  to  draw 
the  line  between  admissible  cheerfulness,  legitimate  physical  and 
social  enjoyments  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  sinful  indul- 
gences, injurious  if  not  even  ruinous  to  one’s  self  or  to  others. 

(2.)  The  context  forbids  the  construction  which  makes  these  verses 
ironical.  uThe  light  is  sweet,”  (and  of  course  it  is  good  and  right 
to  enjoy  it),  and  “ a pleasant  thing  it  is  to  behold  the  sun,”  and 
did  not  God  give  us  this  pleasure  to  be  accepted  and  enjoyed 
thankfully?  u If  a man  live  many  years,  let  him  rejoice  in  them 
all  ” (this  is  the  true  sense  of  the  original),  yet  let  him  remember 
the  days  of  darkness” — sure  to  come — and  let  this  remembrance 
temper  his  enjoyment  of  the  good  things  God  gives  him  and  make 
him  the  more  grateful  for  them  while  they  last.  All  this  is  serious 
and  not  ironical.  The  same  strain  ought,  therefore,  to  be  carried 
on  throughout  the  passage. (3.)  The  numerous  parallel  pas- 

sages in  the  book  suffice  to  settle  this  point  definitely.  They  have 
come  repeatedly  under  our  consideration,  and  can  by  no  means  be 
explained  as  being  irony.  (See  chap.  2:  24  and  3 : 12,  13,  22,  and 
5:  18-20  and  8:  15.)  We  must  then  include  the  passage  before 
us  in  this  class,  and  explain  it  as  referring  to  the  legitimate  enjoy- 
ments of  youth,  bearing  in  mind,  however,  that  the  author  wisely 
guards  against  excess  and  abuse  by  solemnly  assuring  the  young 
man  that  in  reference  to  this  whole  period  of  his  life  and  to  all 
its  special  and  abundant  sources  of  enjoyment,  God  will  bring  him 
into  judgment — not  to  condemn  him  for  the  wholesome  enjoyment 
of  youthful  vigor,  but  for  its  sinful  abuse ; — not  for  any  pleasures 
that  are  legitimate,  but  for  all  that  are  illegitimate,  pernicious, 

morally  wrong. The  sense  of  the  last  verse  seems  to  be — Put 

away  discontent  from  your  heart,  and  physical  evils  from  your 
body.  Cultivate  the  spirit  of  a cheerful  contentment,  and  by  care- 
fully observing  the  laws  of  health,  put  from  you,  far  as  possible, 
the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to.  God  made  your  mind  and  body  for 
much  enjoyment;  be  careful,  therefore,  to  study  and  obey  the 
laws  of  life  and  happiness  pertaining  to  both  mind  and  body ; for 
it  the  best  childhood  and  youth  are  transient,  and  full  of  vanity. 


310 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Let  the  young,  rejoicing  in  their  youthful  freshness,  beauty,  and 
strength,  yet  remember  their  Creator  before  the  evils  of  old  age 
come  on,  and  because  those  evils  or  an  early  death  will  surely 
come  (1-6):.  death  and  its  results  appear  (v.  7.)  The  preacher 
closes  with  the  reassertion  of  his  great  theme  and  with  some 
account  of  his  book  (vs.  8-12)  ; and  then  with  his  final  inference 
from  all  his  facts  and  discussions,  and  with  his  farewell  exhorta- 
tion (vs.  13,  14). 

1.  Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth, 
while  the  evil  days  come  not,  nor  the  years  draw  nigh,  when 
thou  shalt  say,  I have  no  pleasure  in  them : 

This  verse  stands  in  close  relation  with  chap.  11 : 7-10,  and 
especially  vs.  9,  10,  and  should  not  have  been  separated  in  the 
arrangement  of  chapters.  The  young  man,  rejoicing  in  his  youth, 
and  passing  cheerfully  along  through  those  days  of  health,  hope, 
and  high  anticipation  and  of  superabundant  physical  life,  is  ex- 
horted to  remember  his  Creator  even  then,  in  the  morning  of  his 
youthful  years.  To  “remember  one’s  Creator”  is  more  than 
simply  to  remember  God.  It  is  to  think  of  God  as  your  personal 
Creator,  the  Author  of  your  very  being  and  of  all  that  wealth  of 
blessings  which  he  provides  so  profusely  for  the  morning  period  of 
life.  To  be  thus  seriously  mindful  of  our  Creator  is  to  feel  our 
obligation  to  filial  obedience  and  to  grateful  love  and  trust.  It  is 
to  say  from  the  heart — All  I am ; all  I can  ever  become  ; all  I have 
or  ever  can  have — are  due  to  my  Infinite  Creator  and  Father.  Let 
me  hold  all  my  powers  as  his  gift  and  use  them  gratefully  accord- 
ing to  his  pleasure  and  for  his  honor. Now  obviously  there 

can  be  no  moral  obligation  more  absolute  than  this  which  binds  a 
creature  to  perfect  homage,  love,  and  obedience  to  his  Great  Creator. 
Ought  not  a son  to  honor  his  earthly  father  ? But  this  oughtness 
is  intensified  indefinitely  when  from  an  earthly  father  never  so 
worthy  wre  turn  to  our  Heavenly  Father  whose  merits  and  whose 

claims  on  us  are  indeed  absolutely  infinite. The  point  of  the 

exhortation  as  it  stands  here  regards  the  time  when.  Remember 
now  thy  Creator  while  yet  “ youth  and  years  are  bright,”  while  yet 
the  evil  days  come  not,  nor  the  years  draw  nigh  when  thou  shalt 
say — I find  no  pleasure  in  these  days  and  years.  Give  to  God  the 
full  outgushing  affections  of  your  young  hearts — the  warmth  and 
freshness  of  your  earliest  love.  This  is  his  due,  and  this  is  peculi- 
arly acceptable. It  may  be  supposed,  moreover,  that  the  preacher 

held  in  contrast  before  his  mind  the  opposite  of  the  godly  youth, 
viz. : the  ungodly  young  man  passing  on  through  a wicked  youth  and 
a more  wicked  manhood — to  a godless,  comfortless,  worn  out  and 
wretched  old  age — to  drop  at  last  unwept  and  unhonored  into  his 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


311 


grave,  to  be  remembered  no  more ! By  all  the  miseries  of  such  a 
life  and  such  an  end  would  he  exhort  his  youthful  readers — yea, 
all  the  living  to  whom  in  the  lapse  of  the  ages  these  words  might 
ever  come,  to  shun  such  a life  and  such  an  end  by  giving  their 
heart  to  their  great  and  good  Creator  in  the  very  morning  of  life. 
This  I take  to  be  the  course  of  thought  and  argument  in  this  and 
the  subsequent  verses. 

2.  While  the  sun,  or  the  light,  or  the  moon,  or  the  stars, 
be  not  darkened,  nor  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain : 

3.  In  the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  trem- 
ble, and  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves,  and  the 
grinders  cease  because  they  are  few,  and  those  that  look  out 
of  the  windows  be  darkened, 

4.  And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  when  the 
sound  of  the  grinding  is  low,  and  he  shall  rise  up  at  the 
voice  of  the  bird,  and  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be 
brought  low : 

5.  Also  when  they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high, 
and  fears  shall  be  in  the  way,  and  the  almond  tree  shall 
flourish,  and  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a burden,  and  desire 
shall  fail:  because  man  goeth  to  his  long  home,  and  the 
mourners  go  about  the  streets : 

6.  Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed,  or  the  golden  bowl 
be  broken,  or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain,  or  the 
wheel  broken  at  the  cistern. 

All  critics  admit,  for  none  can  deny,  that  these  verses  describe 
under  imagery  more  or  less  poetic,  a forlorn,  joyless,  broken  down 
old  age.  Yet,  upon  the  question  of  the  precise  character  of  these 
figures,  there  is  room  for  diversity  of  opinion.  Instead  of  attempt- 
ing to  define  this  diversity  in  general  terms,  I propose  to  para- 
phrase the  passage  according  to  the  two  prominent  theories  of  fig- 
urative conception. In  v.  2,  all  must  agree  that  the  figures  are 

drawn  from  the  natural  world,  and  not  from  the  old  man  himself. 
The  darkening  of  the  great  lights  of  heaven  is  one  of  the  most 
common  figures  with  the  Hebrew  writers  for  great  and  sad  ca- 
lamity. (See  Ezek.  32:  7,  8;  Isa.  13:  10;  Joel  2:  31  and  3:  15; 
Amos  8:  9;  Rev.  6:  12,  13  and  Mat.  24:  29.) The  clouds  re- 

turning after  the  great  rain,  when  “storm  after  storm  rises  dark 
o’er  the  way,”  describe  the  rainy  season  of  Palestine,  when  one 
storm  passes  away  only  to  make  room  for  another  to  follow,  and  a 
whole  fair  day  is  scarcely  known.  This  represents  forcibly  the 

gloom  and  grief  that  hang  over  the  old  age  of  the  ungodly. 

The  next  three  verses  (3-5),  those  interpreters  who  find  here  the 
very  body — the  physical  organs  and  the  waning  senses  of  the  de- 
crepit old  man,  would  paraphrase  thus: — “In  the  day  when  the 
keepers  of  the  house  (the  old  man’s  arms)  become  tremulous,  and 

14 


312 


ECCLESIASTES -CHAP.  XII. 


the  strong  men  (his  legs)  bow  themselves,  becoming  bent  under 
the  infirmities  of  years;  and  the  grinders  (his  molar  teeth,  used 
chiefly  for  mastication)  cease  to  work  because  they  are  few  ; and 
the  eyes  that  look  out  as  from  the  windows  of  the  head,  become 
dim  with  growing  blindness  ; and  the  doors  are  shut  in  the  streets  ” 
— i.  e .,  the  lips  are  closed  and  little  is  said  through  lack  of  power 
or  of  interest;  or  as  others  think,  the  ears  are  shut  with  deafness* 
— when  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low,  the  voice  becoming 
weak  and  scarcely  audible;  or  as  some,  the  sound  produced  in 
chewing  food  is  low:  and  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird 
— wakened  very  early  in  his  sleepless  morning  by  the  bird-songs, 
he  starts  from  his  slumbers:  and  since,  by  Hebrew  usage,  ‘daugh- 
ters of  music’  means  all  singers,  their  being  brought  low  signi- 
fies that  he  loses  his  power  if  not  also  his  interest  in  music.  And 
he  is  afraid  to  venture  upon  what  is  high;  he  has  fears  when 
abroad  in  the  public  way;  the  almond  tree  flourishes,  betokening 
his  gray  hairs;  or  as  others  read  it,  the  almond  nut  which  he 
once  loved  becomes  disgusting,  because,  having  lost  his  teeth,  he 
can  not  eat  it:  the  grasshopper  becomes  a burden  through  his 
great  weakness  to  bear  any  load  whatever ; and  the  natural  appe- 
tites lose  their  vitality  and  cease  to  afford  him  pleasure  in  their 
exercise;  because  man  goeth  to  his  eternal  home;  mourners  fol- 
low the  mortal  remains  of  the  dead  through  the  streets;  for  the 
nice,  the  delicate  and  wonderful  organism  of  the  human  frame  is 
broken  down,  even  as  the  machinery  for  raising  water  or  the  ves- 
sels for  bearing  it  away  from  well  or  cistern  become  broken  and 
useless.  So  death  comes  and  the  dust  goes  back  to  its  mother 

earth ; the  spirit  rises  to  God,  its  author. This  view  of  these 

figures  (with  slight  variations)  receives  the  suffrages  of  probably 
the  major  part  of  the  critics. A somewhat  different  view  de- 

serves our  notice.  In  vs.  3,  4 an  oriental  village , besieged  by  ene- 
mies, dilapidated  and  half-deserted,  going  fast  to  ruin — forms  the 
ground-work  of  the  illustrations.  On  this  hypothesis  we  might 
paraphrase  thus: — In  the  day  when  the  city  guards — the  watch- 
men— are  filled  with  alarm ; when  even  the  strong  men  bow  them- 
selves, weak  and  faint,  under  the  burden  of  defending  the  city; 
when  the  grinders  at  the  oriental  handmills  suspend  labor  because 
so  few  survive  to  do  the  work  or  to  be  fed  by  its  products  : and 
when  the  women  in  their  houses  no  longer  look  out  from  their 
windows  with  curiosity  to  see  the  passing  traveler ; when  the  doors 
are  fast  shut  and  bolted  toward  the  streets  through  fear  of  assault- 
ing foes;  when  the  sound  of  the  oriental  handmill  is  so  low  as  to 
be  scarcely  audible — those  sounds  which  in  times  of  average  pros- 
perity you  are  sure  to  hear  at  break  of  day  in  every  oriental  vil- 
lage or  encampment;  when  men  start  up  in*  fear  at  the  voice  of 
even  a bird  because  it  might  betoken  an  assault  from  their  inva- 
ders ; and  all  the  daughters  of  music  are  brought  low,  for  in  such 
a time  of  pressing  calamity  and  possibly  of  impending  ruin,  none 

could  have  the  heart  to  sing  or  the  ear  to  hear  it. In  v.  5 the 

description  may  perhaps  be  best  applied,  in  part  at  least,  directly 


ECCLESIASTES  -CHAP.  XII. 


313 


to  the  aged  man  who  is  afraid  of  whatever  is  high ; who  has  fears 
in  the  public  highway.  The  blossoming  of  the  almond  tree,  by 
oriental  usage,  may  indicate  that  events  are  hastening  on  toward 
their  accomplishment.  The  almond,  first  to  bloom  in  spring,  gave 
the  earliest  promise  of  a change  from  winter.  As  used  in  symbol 
by  the  Lord  to  Jeremiah  (Jer.  1 : 12),  its  significance  was — “ I will 
hasten  my  word  to  perform  it.”  So  God  hastens' to  close  up  the 

miserable  career  of  the  ungodly  old  man. The  construction 

last  given  to  vs.  3,  4 pleases  me  much  better  than  the  first  one. 
That  first  one  seems  in  many  points  very  harsh,  tame,  insipid, 
badly  forced,  and  un poetic.  Especially  I can  not  imagine  how  an 
oriental  reader  could  understand  by  “the  sound  of  the  grinding,” 
any  thing  else  but  that  well-known  sound  from  the  handmills  of 
every  household  each  morning  for  the  day’s  use,  or  could  think  of 
“the  daughters  of  music”  as  being  any  other  than  those  singing 
bands  who  entertained  the  people  with  their  songs.  So  of  the  en- 
tire description.  It  accords  so  pertinently  with  oriental  life  in  a 
village  besieged  and  imperilled,  that  I can  not  bring  my  mind  to 
accept  any  other  construction.  Moreover,  an  oriental  village  in 
which  the  hum  of  busy,  peaceful  life  has  died  away  ; in  which 
music  is  heard  no  longer;  even  the  curiosity  of  woman  fails  to 
bring  her  to  the  window  to  look  out  abroad;  the  doors  are  barred; 
the  watchmen  tremble  ; the  soldiers  are  overborne  with  their  task 
and  every  thing  betokens  capture,  sack,  and  ruin ; — such  a group- 
ing of  scenes  is  an  admirable  picture  of  the  failing  life-powers, 
the  departing  joys,  and  the  impending  downfall  of  the  poor  old 
man.  Nor  does  it  seem  to  me  in  any  wise  incongruous,  for  v.  2 
unquestionably  draws  its  figures  from  the  great  lights  of  heaven 
and  the  storms  of  the  oriental  rainy*  season,  and  there  is  nothing 
that  requires  us  to  return  to  a specific  description  of  the  individ- 
ual man  till  we  reach  v.  5.  Some  of  the  points  of  v.  5 may  best 
be  applied  to  him  personally. — V.  6 is  a beautiful  description  of 
the  severing  of  the  cords  of  life  which  hold  the  body  and  soul  in 
their  life-communion.  Comparing  the  nice  physical  organism  of 
the  body  with  the  machinery  for  raising  water,  the  cords  snap 
asunder;  the  choice  bowl  that  bore  the  living  water  is  dashed  in 
pieces;  the  machinery  on  the  action  of  which  animal  life  hung 
is  broken  down — and  all  is  over! 

7.  Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was  : and 
the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it. 

Then  “ashes  to  ashes,  and  dust  to  dust.”  The  dust  of  the 
human  frame  returns  to  its  kindred  dust ; but  the  spirit,  of  far 
higher  nature,  the  very  breath  of  God  (Gen.  2 : 7),  returns  to  God 
who  gave  it;  not  to  be  absorbed  again  into  the  essence  of  the 
Divine  Being;  not  to  lose  its  personality,  its  individual  conscious- 
ness, or  its  moral  responsibility;  but  to  receive  from  God  its  re- 
ward according  to  its  moral  life  in  the  body.  “ For  God  will  bring 
every  work  into  judgment  with  every  secret  thing  whether  it  bo 


314 


ECCLESIASTES— CRAP.  XII. 


good  or  whether  it  be  evil.”  This  doctrine  of  future  retribution 
forever  precludes  the  pantheistic  notion  of  the  absorption  of  the 
human  soul  at  death  into  the  being  of  God  himself. The  doc- 

trine that  all  human  souls  have  their  existence  directly  from  God 
so  that  he  is  strictly  and  properly  “ the  Father  of  all  spirits,”  ap- 
pears in  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New.  See  Num.  16  : 
22,  where  it  occurs  in  the  prayer  of  Moses  and  Aaron : “ O God, 
the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,”  etc.;  also  again  in  the  words 
of  Moses  (Num.  27:  16),  uLet  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  spirits 
of  all  flesh,  set  a man  over  the  congregation,”  etc.  So  the  writer 
of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (12:  9) — “Shall  we  not  be  in  sub- 
jection unto*  the  Father  of  spirits  and  live  ?” That  the  soul, 

thus  related  to  God  as  its  father  should  return  to  him  at  death,  is 
due  also  and  especially  to  its  moral  nature  and  moral  relations 
and  responsibilities.  That  this  was  the  doctrine  of  the  ancient 
Jewish  teachers  appears  even  in  the  Chaldee  paraphrast  who  trans- 
lates our  verse : “ The  living  spirit  will  return  to  stand  in  judg- 
ment before  God  who  gave  it  to  thee.” The  same  doctrine 

underlies  this  Book  of  Ecclesiastes,  cropping  out  not  unfrequently 
throughout  the  course  of  its  discussions,  and  brought  forth  most 
distinctly  and  emphatically  at  the  close.  (See  chap.  3:  17,  21  and 

5 : 8 and  8 : 8,  12,  13  and  11:9  and  12  : 14.) And  what  can  be 

more  reasonable?  For  the  gift  of  intellectual  faculties  devolves 
the  obligation  to  know  God.  The  gift  of  a moral  power  to  obey 
and  love  God  creates  the  obligation  to  obedience  and  love.  “To 
him  that  knoweth  to  do  good  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin” 

(Jam.  4:  17).  God  therefore  has  an  account  to  settle  with  all 

those  beings  to  whom  he  has  committed  such  exalted  powers,  and 
hence  their  spirits  must  return  to  him  at  death  to  meet  this  re- 
sponsibility and  to  render  this  account. 

8.  Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher  ; all  is  vanity. 

Obviously  this  introduces  the  closing  section  of  the  book — the 
concluding  remarks.  Hence  he  repeats  the  sentiment  which  more 
than  any  other  has  been  his  leading  theme — the  utter  vanity  of 
all  things  that  are  merely  of  the  earth — sensual  and  worldly  en- 
joyments. At  the  same  time  this  sentiment  has  a close  relation 
to  what  has  immediately  preceded — the  infirmities  and  miseries  of 
a godless  old  age.  If  such,  he  would  say,  is  to  be  the  end  of  a 
sinning  life,  even  though  protracted  into  extreme  old  age  and  con- 
sequently using  up  and  exhausting  all  there  is  of  sinful  pleasure 
in  human  life;  how  justly  may  we  conclude  that  such  a life  is  an 
utter  vanity ! Standing  over  the  grave  of  the  dead  sinner  who 
has  filled  out  his  four-score  years,  think  how  he  has  lived;  how 
he  has  worn  out  life’s  pleasures,  and  how  few  and  small  they  have 
been;  then  mark  how  he  dies  at  last,  and  say  in  view  of  all,  if 
the  whole  of  his  life  is  not  “ vanity  of  vanities!”  Who  can  afford 
to  live  and  die  so  f 

9.  And  moreover,  because  the  Preacher  was  wise,  he 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


315 


still  taught  the  people  knowledge ; yea,  he  gave  good  heed, 
and  sought  out,  and  set  in  order  many  proverbs. 

“And  moreover,”  i.  e .,  in  conclusion  it  remains  to  say  that  the 
preacher  being  wise  still  taught,  etc.  It  is  not  perhaps  absolutely 
certain  whether  he  refers  exclusively  to  this  Book  of  Ecclesiastes, 
or  includes  also  other  literary  labors,  and  specially  those  writings 
which  are  in  part  or  whole  embraced  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs 
The  latter  view  seems  quite  probable. 

10.  The  Preacher  sought  to  find  out  acceptable  words : 
and  that  which  was  written  was  upright,  even  words  of  truth. 

The  preacher  studied  not  only  to  get  useful  thoughts  but  pleas 
ing  words  in  which  to  express  them ; and  yet  not  this  only,  for  he 
was  also  careful  that  the  things  he  wrote  should  be  “upright” — 
i.  e .,  just  and  good — words  of  truth. 

11.  The  wrords  of  the  wise  are  as  goads,  and  as  nails 
fastened  by  the  masters  of  assemblies,  which  are  given  from 
one  shepherd. 

From  speaking  of  his  own  work,  he  passes  to  speak  in  a more 
general  way  of  all  the  words  of  the  wise,  with  special  reference  it 
would  seem  to  the  other  inspired  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  then 

extant. These  words  of  wise  men  are  as  goads;  they  have  a 

piercing,  penetrating  power.  They  commend  themselves  to  the 
good  sense  of  mankind  and  to  their  conscience  no  less,  and  there- 
fore take  fast  hold  of  the  human  soul.  So  the  writer  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews : “ For  the  word  of  God  is  sharper  than  any  two- 
edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and 

spirit,”  etc.  (Heb.  4:  12). “And  as  nails  driven  in  (deeply 

planted  in  the  heart)  are  the  makers  of  the  collection” — this 
“collection”  being  the  collected  words  of  the  wise,  and  those  who 
make  the  collection  being  here  put  for  the  collection  itself  of  the 
sacred  writings,  even  as  we  now  say  Moses  and  Paul,  but  mean 
the  words  they  wrote.  This  seems  to  be  the  literal  meaning  of 

this  somewhat  contested  passage. That  these  collected  writings 

are  “given  by  one  shepherd”  looks  to  their  common  origin  in  the 
one  revealing  Spirit  of  God.  It  was  as  a great  and  good  shepherd, 
leading  his  people  like  a flock  into  the  green  pastures  of  truth, 
that  the  Divine  Spirit  taught  holy  men  of  old  to  speak  and  write 

these  words  of  preeminent  and  superhuman  wisdom. The  word 

translated  “assemblies,”  it  is  now  conceded  by  the  best  critics, 
refers  not  to  assembled  persons  but  to  collected  manuscripts,  con- 
stituting the  recorded  wisdom  of  the  wise  and  therefore  parallel  to 
“ the  words  of  the  wise  ” in  the  first  clause,  with  probable  refer 
ence  moreover  to  the  inspired  books  then  extant. 

12.  And  further,  by  these,  my  son,  be  admonished:  of 
making  many  books  there  is  no  end  ; and  much  study  is  a 
weariness  of  the  flesh. 


316 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


From  these  sacred  books,  my  son,  receive  your  divine  instruc- 
tion. I have  sought,  dear  reader,  in  a truly  parental  spirit,  to 
lead  you  into  the  paths  of  true  wisdom.  Allow  me,  therefore,  to 
address  you  as  “my  son.”  Solomon  adopts  the  same  mode  of 
address  (Prov.  1 : 8,  10  and  2:  1 and  3:  1,  16,  21,  etc  ). Of  mak- 

ing books  on  a large  scale,  there  is  no  natural  end ; one  seems  to 
find  no  place  to  stop.  But  much  study — the  hard  labors  of  the 
author — are  a weariness  to  the  flesh.  I shall  therefore  (says  Sole* 
mon)  close  my  work  and  give  you  in  the  fewest  possible  words  the 

grand  lesson  of  this  book. It  is  in  harmony  with  the  entire 

strain  of  this  book  that  Solomon  should  speak  in  this  verse  of  his 
own  personal  experience  as  an  author.  If  we  may  suppose  him  to 
have  been  at  this  writing  far  advanced  in  age,  the  pertinence  of 

these  words  to  his  case  becomes  the  more  apparent. If  he  had 

in  view  also  the  multitude  of  books  other  than  his,  it  was  quite  in 
place  to  exhort  the  reader  to  spare  himself  the  labor,  and  not  less, 
the  loss,  of  reading  many  poor  ones,  and  be  content  to  read,  digest, 
and  put  in  practice  the  wisdom  here  laid  so  briefly  before  him. 

13.  Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter : 
Fear  God,  and  keep  his  commandments:  for  this  is  the 
whole  duty  of  men. 

Closely  translated,  this  is — “ The  conclusion — the  whole  matter — 
let  us  hear;”  i.  e .,  the  sum  and  quintessence  of  this  entire  book. 
“ Fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments,  for  this  ...  of  all 
men” — i.  e.}  is  the  duty  of  all  men  ; or  we  might  supply  the  ellipsis 
thus ; this  belongs  to  all  men  ; or  this  binds  all — is  obligatory  on  all 
men;  or  very  fitly  thus — “for  this  all  men  should  do .”  The  He- 
brew has  no  word  for  “ duty.”  And  usage  will  not  allow  us  to 
read — “This  is  the  whole  of  man.”  The  Hebrew  words  for  “ whole 
of  man  ” are  used  so  frequently  and  so  invariably  in  the  sense — 
all  men , the  whole  race  of  man — that  we  can  not  give  them  any 
other  sense  here.  The  sentiment  therefore  must  be — not  this  com- 
prises all  human  duty,  but  this  duty  is  universal.  It  binds  all 
human  beings.  It  belongs  to  man  as  a creature  of  God,  made  in- 
telligent so  that  he  can  know  God  and  with  such  voluntary  powers 
that  he  can  give  to  his  Maker  the  love  of  his  heart  and  the  service  of 
his  life  in  true  obedience  to  his  commandments. 

14.  For  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with 
every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil. 

The  precise  sense  I take  to  be — God  will  bring  into  the  final 
judgment  every  thing  done  by  men,  together  with  every  secret 
thing,  whether  good  or  evil;  all  the  unspoken  words,  all  the  un- 
uttered thoughts  of  the  heart — every  thing  whatever  that  has  moral 
character  and  therefore  comes  within  the  pale  of  his  moral  law 

and  government. Comparing  the  retributive  judgments  sent  of 

God  upon  individuals  and  nations  in  time  with  that  final  judgment 
whioh  is  reserved  for  men  at  the  end  of  the  world  and  whose 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


317 


awards  lie  in  the  eternal  state,  the  former  relates  for  the  most  part, 
not  to  secret  things,  but  to  patent,  open  transactions,  such  as  are 
naturally  “ known  and  read  of  all  men;”  while  the  latter  distinct- 
ively includes  “ every  secret  thing  ” — the  thoughts  of  the  heart, 
unseen  by  mortal  eye;  the  unuttered  murmurings;  the  rebellious 
spirit;  the  persistent  purpose  to  remain  a rebel  against  God  despite 
of  his  unceasing  love  and  tenderest  calls  of  mercy.  These  secret 
sins  can  not  wisely  be  judged  and  punished  of  God  until  they  are 
fully  disclosed  both  to  the  sinner  himself  and  to  the  universe  as 
the  ground  and  reason  for  the  infliction  of  his  righteous  penalties. 
Thus  Jude — “To  convince  all  that  are  ungodly  of  all  their  ungodly 
deeds”  (v.  15).  The  overt,  public  sins  of  men  and  nations  are  or 
may  be  sufficiently  known  in  this  world  to  justify  any  amount  of 
present  retribution  which  God  may  deem  wise  and  well  for  the  sup- 
port of  his  moral  government.  The  argument  is  therefore  unan- 
swerable which  infers  that  this  judgment,  since  it  takes  cognizance 
not  only  of  some  secret  things,  but  of  “ every  secret  thing,”  must 
be  specially  and  preeminently  that  final  judgment  scene  at  the  end 
of  the  world  of  which  both  our  Lord  and  his  apostles  spake  with 

the  utmost  distinctness  and  solemnity. -It  is  vain  to  assert  (as 

many  German  critics  have  done)  that  Solomon  knew  nothing  of 
a final  judgment.  The  fact  that  he  had  such  knowledge  does  not 
rest  on  this  one  verse  alone,  and  can  not  therefore  be  set  aside  by 
severing  (as  they  do  capriciously)  the  closing  verses  of  this  chap- 
ter (8-14)  from  the  rest  of  the  book,  and  ascribing  them  to  some 
compiler  of  much  later  date.  For  the  doctrine  of  a future  judg- 
ment appears  repeatedly  throughout  this  book.  (See  notes  on  v* 
7 above.)  It  entered  deeply  into  the  moral  and  religious  system 
of  its  author.  He  felt  in  his  own  moral  nature  the  fitness  of.  it 
and  the  demand  for  it,  and  he  saw  in  the  anomalies  and  imperfec- 
tions of  moral  government  in  this  world  that  there  must  be  an- 
other scene  of  judgment  for  the  deeds  of  earth — a complement  to 
this,  to  even  up  (so  to  speak)  the  jagged  surface  as  it  presents  itself 
in  this  imperfect  world;  or  in  his  own  language,  to  obviate  that 
striking  “ vanity  which  is  done  upon  the  earth,  whereby  there  are 
just  men  to  whom  it  happeneth  according  to  the  work  of  the 
wicked,  and  wicked  men  to  whom  it  happeneth  according  to  the 
work  of  the  righteous”  (chap.  8 : 14).  The  apparent  wrong  of 
such  allotments  of  evil  to  the  righteous  and  of  good  to  the  wicked, 
Solomon  knew  must  be  set  right  somewhere.  Not  seeing  it  done  in- 
variably and  perfectly  in  the  present  world,  he  inferred  that  it 
must  be  done  after  the  present  life  shall  have  closed.  Here  was 
an  illustration  of  the  doctrine  brought  out  in  chap.  3:  11 — “God 
hath  done  every  thing  fitly,  beautifully  in  its  time.  He  hath  also 
given  to  men  the  idea  of  eternity  without  which  they  could  not 
find  out  the  work  that  God  doeth  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
thereof.”  There  is  no  adequate  explanation  of  the  anomalies  and 
irregularities  of  God’s  dealings  with  men  as  they  stand  before  us 
in  this  life,  until  we  take  into  consideration  the  grand  idea  of  eter- 
nity— the  fact  of  a future  eternal  life  in  which  retribution  will  be 


318 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


made  equal  and  righteous,  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  deeds  done 

in  the  body,  including  every  secret  thing  whether  good  or  evil. 

Solomon  therefore  had  a distinct  knowledge  of  a future  general 
judgment,  and  also  of  its  natural  and  inevitable  result,  a subse- 
quent state  of  retribution.  I would  not  eonvey  the  impression 
that  he  was  indebted  for  this  knowledge  exclusively  to  the  saga- 
cious and  unaided  inferences  or  even  the  intuitive  affirmations  of 
his  own  mind.  It  would  not  be  safe  to  assume  that  he  was  the 
first  man  of  all  the  race  who  possessed  this  knowledge.  The  old- 
est patriarchs,  and  Moses,  and  Samuel,  and  David,  may  all  have 
had  it.  It  is  not  important  here  to  debate  this  question  at  length. 
I simply  say  in  brief  they  may  have  had  it.  No  man  can  prove 
the  contrary.  The  fact  that  the  theocracy  was  in  its  very  nature 
an  external  system , administered  by  rewards  and  punishments  in 
this  world , needs  no  other  explanation  to  account  for  it  than  this — 
that  it  was  to  be  administered  by  human  agents  who  could  not 
legislate  over  the  heart  and  could  not  wield  the  retributions  of 
eternity.  Consequently  this  fact  by  no  means  proves  that  those 
fathers  had  no  knowledge  of  a future  judgment  and  a future  retri- 
bution. How  early  God  revealed  these  great  facts  of  his  moral 
government  to  the  race,  it  may  be  impossible  for  us  to  decide  with 
absolute  certainty.  Nor  are  we  quite  competent  to  say  on  authority 
how  much  Solomon  may  have  been  indebted  to  direct  revelation 

from  God  for  his  knowledge  on  this  subject. Let  it  suffice  that 

he  had  this  knowledge.  Having  it,  he  used  it  most  appropriately 
and  writh  august  solemnity  to  enforce  upon  all  men  the  duty  of 
fearing  God  and  of  keeping  all  his  commandments.  To  the 
pleasure-loving  and  pleasure-seeking  men  of  his  time  before  whom 
his  own  example  had  been  terribly  pernicious,  he  bears  throughout 
this  book  a straight-forward,  strong,  and  solemn  testimony  to  the 
vanity  of  the  life  they  are  living;  to  the  wisdom  of  accepting  with 
gratitude  to  God  the  moderate  enjoyments  of  earthly  good  which 
are  provided  in  the  simple  gratification  of  the  few  natural  wants 
of  the  human  system ; and  then  he  exhorts  them  to  hold  forever 
fresh  in  their  mind  the  thought  of  a present  God,  every-where  and 
always  to  be  feared  and  obeyed ; whose  will  should  be  the  great 
study  of  mortals,  accepted  as  infinite  reason,  and  whose  final  retri- 
bution for  all  human  deeds  should  perpetually  shield  men  against 
temptation  and  bind  them  to  a docile  and  true-hearted  obedience 

to  all  the  known  commands  of  the  Great  Maker  and  Father. 

Nor  was  this  testimony  of  Israel’s  penitent  king  designed  for  the 
pleasure-seeking  men  of  his  time  alone.  It  is  a testimony  for  the 
ages  that  were  to  come  after — the  voice  of  a wisdom,  if  human,  yet 
also  more  than  human  in  that  the  Most  High  gave  it  his  endorse- 
ment and  sanction.  It  speaks  to  us  of  the  nineteenth  century — to 
men  of  all  the  centuries  far  down  in  time  as  the  world  shall  be  a 
snare  to  human  souls — long  as  the  young  shall  need  the  word — • 
“Kemember  thy  Creator  now."  The  great  apostolic  injunction  to 
use  the  world  as  not  abusing  it"  stands  forth  here  in  greatly  ex- 
panded form,  enforced  by  a thousand  proofs  that  such  abuse  is 


ECCLESIASTES— CHAP.  XII. 


319 


only  one  intense  and  utter  vanity,  and  regulated  by  the  twofold 
consideration — on  the  one  hand  that  all  the  real  good  of  this 
world  is  the  gift  of  God ; and  on  the  other,  that  he  will  surely  hold 
every  man  to  a righteous  retribution  in  the  final  judgment  for  both 
his  use  and  his  abuse  thereof.  With  surpassing  pertinence  and  force 
this  book  closes,  leaving  the  echo  of  this  judgment  trump  still  re- 
sounding in  our  ear.  Ah,  king  Solomon!  did  the  voice  of  that 
trump  die  away  from  thine  ear  in  those  guilty  days  of  thine  apos- 
tasy from  the  God  of  thy  fathers  ? Even  if  so,  it  was  only  to  make 
its  echoes  the  more  impressive  when  returning  wisdom  brought  thy 
heart  once  more  back  to  just  thoughts  of  God  and  of  duty.  The 
words  that  come  down  to  us  wet  with  the  tears  of  a penitent  eye 
and  fragrant  with  the  odors  of  a penitent  life  are  the  very  words 
for  a generation  of  sinners  to  hear.  Let  them  sink  deeply  into  our 
penitent  hearts  l 


THE  SONG  OF  SOLOMON. 


PEEFACE. 


Haying  commented  upon  the  two  other  books  of  Solomon,  I 
paused  long  at  the  threshold  of  this  Song  before  I could  decide 
whether  to  write  upon  this  also,  or  pass  it  without  remark.  I 
could  not  doubt  that  it  is  an  accredited  portion  of  the  inspired 
word,  and  therefore  I felt  unwilling  to  suggest  any  thing  to  its 
discredit,  even  by  implication.  To  give  reasons  for  passing  it  by 
would  involve  more  or  less  discussion  of  the  main  questions  at 
issue  in  the  book.  To  pass  it  without  remark  could  not  be  satis- 
factory to  those  who  hold  (rightly)  that  “all  scripture”  (i.  e.,  all 
the  present  Old  Testament  Canon)  “is  given  by  inspiration  of  God 
and  is  profitable.”  I also  considered  that  some  who  read  and  love 
the  Bible  know  not  what  to  think  of  this  book,  and  are  therefore 
prepared  to  welcome  any  modest  attempt  to  relieve  their  diffi- 
culties. 

My  own  difficulties  and  doubts  in  respect  to  writing  an  exposi- 
tion of  this  book  have  turned  mainly  on  two  points:  (1.)  Whether 
the  scope  and  aim  of  the  book  admit  of  being  satisfactorily  deter- 
mined. (2.)  Whether  a book  so  thoroughly  oriental  in  its  con- 
ceptions, its  imagery  and  its  taste,  can  be  read  and  studied  with 
profit  in  our  times,  by  a people  so  unlike  the  orientals  as  we  are 
in  our  sense  of  delicacy  and  propriety  and  in  our  poetic  concep- 
tions. 

As  to  the  first  of  these  points,  my  views  will  appear  in  their 
place  in  the  introduction  below.  I need  only  say  here  that,  hav- 
ing commenced  my  special  investigation  with  a strong  leaning 

(321) 


322 


PREFACE. 


toward  the  literal  construction  of  the  book  as  opposed  to  the 
figurative,  I have  been  constrained  to  abandon  that  view  and  to 
embrace  the  opposite  one  by  the  force  of  considerations  which 
seem  to  me  to  be  at  once  so  legitimate  and  so  strong  as  to  leave 

no  room  for  serious  doubt. As  to  the  second  point,  I have 

considered  that  one  part  of  the  commentator’s  work  is  to  prepare 
an  oriental  book  for  occidental  readers — a book  written  twenty-five 
centuries  ago,  in  a state  of  society  exceedingly  unlike  our  own, 
for  profitable  use  in  our  own  times. 

In  some  few  passages  the  received  English  translation  should 
be  improved  for  the  sake  of  greater  delicacy.  This  may  be  done 
with  no  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  original.  I have  therefore 

introduced  a new  translation. Moreover,  the  book  being  mainly 

a dialogue  in  which  the  principal  speakers  are  Solomon  and  his 
bride,  I have  indicated  the  passages  spoken  respectively  by  these 
two  parties.  This  distinction  is  very  obscure  in  the  English  trans- 
lation, but  is  for  the  most  part  very  obvious  in  the  Hebrew  because 
this  language  distinguishes  the  gender  of  the  second  person — the 
party  spoken  to — in  both  the  pronoun  and  the  verb.  I have  trans- 
ferred the  Hebrew  names  of  the  parties,  Shelomoh  (Solomon),  and 
“ Shulamilh”  his  bride. 

Some  other  points  of  a preliminary  nature  will  appear  in  the 
Introduction. 

I am  happy  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  Prof.  C.  E.  Stowe 
(Biblical  Repository,  April,  1847)  and  Rev.  Leonard  Withington’s 
“Solomon’s  Song  Translated  and  Explained.” 

Oberltn,  Ohio,  1870 


INTRODUCTION 


Whatever  may  be  true  as  to  a secondary  meaning,  in  its  pri- 
mary sense  this  book  treats  of  love  as  between  the  sexes.  It  has 
been  conceded  generally,  if  not  universally,  and  it  must  be,  that 
the  love  portrayed  here  is  connubial,  or  wedded  love,  i.  e.,  between 
parties  sustaining  the  marriage  relation,  either  prospectively  by 
solemn  betrothal,  or  actually,  after  marriage,  and  most  probably 
the  latter.  The  representation  is  in  no  respect  that  of  illicit  pas- 
sion.—— It  is  doubtless  due  to  oriental  taste  that  so  much  is  said 
of  personal  attractions,  and  that  such  a standard  of  personal  beauty 
is  assumed.  But  there  is  no  disputing  over  questions  of  taste. 
[“  De  gustibus,”  etc.]  The  love  of  beauty  was  in  our  common 
nature  in  paradise.  Our  Maker  provided  a large  place  for  this 
element  in  our  constitution,  wisely  designing  it  should  conduce 
both  to  honorable  marriage,  and  to  its  ministries  of  good  to  our  race. 
It  should  be  carefully  noticed,  moreover,  that  this  book  repre- 
sents the  parties  as  fascinated  with  each  other’s  society  and  as 
mutually  enjoying  in  a high  degree  the  loveliness  of  spring,  the 
fragrance  of  sweet  odors,  the  charms  of  music,  the  beauty  of 
flowers — in  short  all  the  joys  of  this  fair  world  which  blend  so 
perfectly  with  pure  and  chaste  love  in  human  bosoms.  A due 
regard  to  these  features  of  the  book  ought  to  vindicate  it  from  the 
aspersions  sometimes  thrown  upon  it,  of  having  a lascivious  and 
morally  pernicious  tendency. 

In  order  to  do  justice  to  the  author  of  this  book’and  to  those  who 

(323) 


324 


INTRODUCTION. 


placed  it  in  the  sacred  canon,  more  should  be  said  of  its  style  and 
taste  than  simply  to  call  it  oriental.  Let  us,  then,  examine  this 
matter  more  thoroughly  and  ask  how  it  came  to  pass  that  men  of 
pure  mind,  living  in  the  ancient  East,  could  have  tastes  so  unlike 

ours? In  answer,  two  facts  have  paramount  influence.  (I.) 

That  general  society  was  scarcely  ever  mixed.  Outside  the  family 
circle  the  sexes  rarely  intermingled  in  society.  To  this  day  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  Western  Asia  are  subjected  to  a rigid 
seclusion,  and  even  espionage,  which  we  should  consider  degrading, 
debasing,  and  intolerable.  Now  a little  reflection  will  show  that 
the  laws  of  taste  and  propriety  in  regard  to  what  shall  be  con- 
sidered delicate  are  determined  largely  by  the  fact  of  mixed  society. 
Many  things  are  tolerated  in  the  presence  of  only  one  sex,  which 
would  be  deemed  entirely  inadmissible  in  the  presence  of  both. 

(2.)  A second  fact  pertains  to  different  modes  of  dress.  By 

the  general  law  of  language  it  is  not  indelicate  to  speak  of  those 
parts  of  the  person  which  are  usually  exposed,  uncovered,  e.  g.,  the 
face,  the  eyes,  the  hair,  the  neck,  the  hands.  If  we  see  beauty  in 
these  exposed  parts  of  the  person  we  never  think  it  a violation  of 
delicacy  to  speak  of  it.  Now  the  people  of  the  ancient  East  wore 
less  clothing  than  we  do,  and  covered  less  of  the  person.  Especi- 
ally they  did  not  cover  the  bosom,  and  hence  spake  naturally  of 
this  as  one  point  of  personal  beauty,  as  we  now  sometimes  hear 
of  the  fair  and  beautiful  neck.  I do  not  say  this  to  defend  their 
notions  of  taste,  much  less  to  recommend  their  adoption.  Suffice 
it  to  give  the  facts  as  they  are,  and  to  say  that  we  must  not  im- 
pute to  them  indelicacy  of  mind  and  impurity  of  heart  because 

their  tastes  and  standard  of  judgment  differ  from  our  own. 

I add  further  that  in  my  view  a fair  translation  of  this  book  should 
aim  to  give  its  spirit  rather  than  its  precise  letter;  for  obviously 
it  should  labor  to  make  the  book  to  us  what  it  was  to  Solomon 
and  his  first  readers — equally  chaste  and  delicate  in  its  allusions ; 
equally  far  from  liability  to  unhallowed  associations. 

The  Scope  of  the  Book. — From  these  preliminary  remarks,  I pass 
to  the  main  question  of  exposition;  viz.:  Is  the  book  a mere  deline- 
ation of  human  love ; or  is  it  an  allegory , designed  to  represent  the  love 
of  God  to  his  covenant  people  f 

In  the  former  case,  the  writer  may  be  supposed  to  aim  to  re- 
commend marriage;  to  present  the  attractions  toward  that  high- 


INTRODUCTION. 


325 


est  state  of  earthly  happiness;  to  bear  his  testimony  to  the  purity 
of  this  relation,  to  its  legitimate  sympathy  with  whatever  is  beau- 
tiful in  nature,  to  the  pure  and  abiding  pleasures  of  connubial  so- 
ciety, and  especially  to  the  blessedness  of  monogamy  as  compared 
with  polygamy — of  living  joyously  with  one  wife  as  contrasted  with 
living,  as  best  one  could,  with  many.  These  views  of  the  writer’s 
lim  (I  suggest)  are  supposable.  Some  very  worthy  critics  have  held 
them.  They  will  claim  our  attention. 

The  other  alternative  I have  termed  an  allegory , meaning  by 
this  a series  of  scenes  and  acts  which  have  an  ulterior  aim,  a half 
concealed  significance — well  known  examples  of  which  we  have  in 
Bunyan’s  “ Christian  Pilgrim”  and  in  Hannah  More’s  “Parley  the 
Porter.”  The  Bible  also  furnishes  illustrations  of  the  spiritual 
allegory  in  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New.  In  the  Old 
Testament  see  Isa.  5:  1-7,  where  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  is  the  house  of  Israel,”  and  Ps.  80:  8-16  and  Ps.  45;  in 
the  New,  essentially  the  parables  of  our  Lord.  As  already  indica- 
ted, the  book  taken  as  an  allegory  represents  the  covenant  relation 
between  God  and  his  people  in  which  mutual  love  and  fidelity  are 
the  central  elements — God  on  his  part  ever  loving  and  faithful  to- 
ward his  people ; and  his  people  on  their  part  in  duty  bound  and 
solemnly  binding  themselves  to  responsive  love  and  eternal  fidelity 
to  their  God. Our  choice  must  lie  between  these  two  alterna- 

tives. There  can  be  no  third. 

The  arguments  germain  to  the  question  must  come  from  the  fol- 
lowing sources : 

1.  Worthiness  of  aim,  comparatively  viewed. 

2.  Admissibility;  i.  e .,  Is  either  theory  ruled  out  as  incompat- 
ible with  the  points  made  in  the  book  ? 

3.  The  early  traditional  interpretation. 

4.  The  allusions  to  the  book  in  other  books  of  the  Bible,  and 

the  current  use  of  its  spiritual  analogies. These  sources  of  evi- 

dence we  must  examine. 

I.  Worthiness  of  Aim,  viewed  comparatively. — This  book 
stands  in  the  sacred  canon  by  indefeasible  right,  counted  in  among 
the  sacred  books  by  all  the  standard  authorities;  endorsed  there- 
fore by  Christ  and  his  apostles ; and  moreover,  attributed  to  Solo- 
mon according  to  the  unanimous  consent  of  all  sober  critics. 

Now  all  other  scripture  has  a high  moral  purpose — an  obvious  aim, 


326 


INTRODUCTION. 


worthy  of  the  source  whence  it  came.  The  very  idea  of  a reve- 
lation from  God  to  man  involves  such  an  aim  and  purpose.  Con- 
sequently, we  are  not  only  authorized  but  bound  to  look  for  such 
an  aim  in  this  book.  If  a choice  lies  between  two  construc- 
tions, otherwise  possible,  this  consideration  legitimately  comes  in 

with  a strong,  perhaps  decisive  bearing  upon  our  choice. Many 

things  have  been  said  against  the  litoral  construction  of  this  book 
with  which  I can  have  no  sympathy.  The  early  Christian  fathers 
sometimes  seem  to  speak  of  connubial  love,  even  the  purest  known 
to  mortals,  as  necessarily  involving  more  or  less  of  original  sin. 
Hence  they  denounce  unsparingly  any  construction  which  finds 
such  love  in  this  song.  Our  age  has  advanced  too  far  toward  the 
Millenium  to  endorse  such  asceticism.  I judge  that  in  so  far  as 
this  song  commends  conjugal  fidelity  ; paints  attractively  the  pure 
devotion  of  husband  and  wife  to  each  other  [“my  beloved  is  mine 
and  I am  his  ”]  ; sets  forth  the  beautiful  blending  of  the  love  of 
nature  and  the  charms  of  rural  life  with  the  social  endearments 
of  the  connubial  relation,  it  has  done  a noble  work  for  the  purity 
and  elevation  of  our  common  humanity.  The  main  question  which 
presses  upon  my  mind  at  this  point  is  of  this  sort: — Under  the 
literal  construction  of  the  book,  do  its  subject  and  the  manner  of 
treating  it  correspond  to  the  rest  of  the  Bible  ? Is  it  in  the  same 
general  sense  religious  f With  our  eye  on  the  Bible  as  a whole, 
should  we  expect  this  subject,  so  presented,  would  find  a place 
in  it? 

There  is  one  special  aspect  of  the  literal  construction  which 
seems  to  me  to  stand,  in  point  of  worthiness  of  aim,  quite  above 
any  other,  viz.,  that  which  supposes  the  book  to  be  a protest  against 
polygamy  and  a purposed  argument  for  monogamy — the  original 
and  perfect  form  of  marriage  between  one  man  and  one  woman. 
This  would  be  a high  and  worthy  purpose,  the  more  important  in 
that  age  of  debasing  polygamy,  and  the  more  effective  as  coming 
from  Solomon  himself — a protest  against  the  gigantic  sins  of  his 
own  life.  As  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  stands  before  the  ages 
liis  witness  against  the  supreme  pursuit  of  earthly  pleasure  in 
general,  so  this  song  might  be  supposed  to  stand  in  like  manner  as 
his  protest  against  polygamy.  If  in  its  leading  points  the  book 
would  bear  this  construction,  there  would  be  no  lack  in  it  of 
worthy  and  high  moral  aim.  Whether  or  not  it  will  bear  this 
construction  will  be  considered  under  our  next  class  of  proofs. 


INTRODUCTION. 


327 


No  other  modification  of  the  literal  sense  seems  to  me  to  fill  ade- 
quately the  true  idea  of  a worthy  and  high  aim,  judged  of  in  the 
light  of  analogy  with  the  purpose  and  aim  of  the  other  sacred 
books. 

It  deserves  special  attention  here  that  this  book  stands  before 
us  with  high  claims — “The  Song  of  Songs  ” — the  superlative  song 
of  the  holy  Word.  The  nation  already  had  in  hand  the  song  of 
Moses  and  Miriam  at  the  Red  Sea;  the  last  song  of  Moses  in  re- 
view of  God’s  paternal  care  of  his  chosen  through  their  forty  years 
of  wandering;  the  Song  of  Deborah  over  the  fall  of  Israel’s  foes; 
and  many  a song  of  “the  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel” — with  all  of 
which  we  may  suppose  this  of  Solomon  to  be  tacitly  compared  as 
the  song  of  all  songs,  inferior  to  none,  if  not  eclipsing  all.  [If  we 
suppose  the  point  of  comparison  to  be  with  the  thousand  and  four 
others  written  by  himself  (1  Kings  4:  32),  the  argument  is  essen- 
tially the  same.] Shall  we  here  assume  the  point  of  comparison 

and  standard  of  value  to  be  only  that  of  poetic  embellishment— 
artistic  merit?  Must  we  not  assume  a broader  range  of  compar- 
ison so  as  to  include  as  well  the  excellence  of  its  theme  and  the 
high  moral  worthiness  of  its  aim  ? If  so,  this  consideration  must 
have  weight  upon  the  question  of  its  construction  as  literal  or  al- 
legorical. If  the  allegorical  construction  be  admissible  and  ac- 
cepted, the  book  at  once  develops  the  noblest  theme  and  the  highest 
moral  purpose.  The  love  of  God  to  his  chosen  redeemed  people — 
a love  so  pure,  so  deep,  so  true,  so  rich  in  its  fruits  of  blessing 
so  fraught  with  reacting  influence  toward  reciprocal  love  in  return 
— what  can  be  a more  worthy  theme  for  poetry  and  song  ? What 
truth  ever  revealed  from  God  to  man  should  more  command  our 
grateful  reception  and  our  profound  regard  ? 

II.  We  are  next  to  consider  the  point  of  admissibility ; for  it  is 
certainly  supposable  that  one  or  the  other  of  these  theories  can 
not  be  carried  out  in  view  of  the  points  made  in  the  book.  I 
think  this  must  be  said  of  the  literal  construction.  It  encounters 
stubborn  and  in  my  view  insurmountable  difficulties.  Thus  : 

1.  The  one  wife  is  shown  to  be,  not  one  but  many.  She  says 
(1  : 4)  “ Draw  me;  we  will  run  after  thee.  The  king  hath  brought 
me  into  his  chambers;  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thee;  we 
.will  remember  thy  love  more  than  wine.”  Here  the  “ me ” is 
what  is  called  a collective,  or  a noun  [pronoun]  of  multitude ; not 


328 


INTRODUCTION. 


one  bride  only,  but  many.  The  speaker  is  a representative  per- 
sonage. The  church  of  God  considered  allegorically  might  fitly 
say  this;  but  no  one  only  wife  would  say  this  or  could. 

2.  In  this  same  connection  and  verse  the  allegorical  sense  is 
plainly  indicated  in  another  expression : “ The  upright  love  thee.” 
In  the  allegorical  sense  all  the  morally  good  will  love  God.  The 
language  is  (to  say  the  least)  far  less  pertinent  considered  as 
coming  from  the  lips  of  a literal  bride,  for  intense  connubial  love 
is  wont  to  be  jealous  of  rivals — exclusive  in  its  claims. 

3.  The  facts  of  the  case  rule  out  the  best  form  of  the  literal 
sense,  viz. : that  the  author  devotes  his  book  to  the  praises  of  mo- 
nogamy as  opposed  to  polygamy;  for  this  bride  is  not  the  only 
one;  there  are  at  least  sixty  more,  besides  four-score  concubines 
(6 : 8).  The  king  does  indeed  give  this  one  the  preference,  and 
says  that  the  other  queens  and  concubines  praised  her  (v.  9).  But 
this  point  in  the  story  effectually  spoils  the  theory  of  a panegyric 
on  the  blessedness  of  having  one  wife  as  compared  with  the  curse 
of  having  many. 

4.  As  here  represented,  the  bride  in  this  book  is  not  an  Isra- 
elite but  a foreigner,  for  she  comes  from  a more  southern  clime, 
apparently  the  daughter  of  some  Arab  sheik,  dark-skinned  as  the 
tents  of  her  own  Kedar  (1 : 5,  6);  the  bridal  procession  comes  up 
from  this  southern  wilderness  (3  : 6 and  8:5);  the  daughters  of 
Jerusalem  are  envious  of  her  as  an  alien  of  another  race  (1:5  and 
2:  7 and  3:  5,  11  and  5:  8).  Consequently,  under  the  literal 
construction,  this  book  is  Solomons  defense  before  the  people  of 
Israel  and  especially  before  the  jealous  damsels  of  Jerusalem  for 
marrying  a heathen  wife ! Moreover,  the  defense  is  put  on  the 
ground  of  her  personal  beauty — of  his  passion  for  her  and  of  hers 
for  him.  Now,  considering  that  this  is  an  attempted  justification 
of  what  was  a crime  under  the  divine  law  (Ex.  34:  16  and  Deut. 
7:  3 and  17:  17),  how  can  this  construction  be  adopted?  How 
can  we  suppose  that  Solomon  wrote  this  book  by  divine  inspiration 
for  such  a purpose,  and  that  inspired  men  gave  it  a place  in  the 

sacred  canon  with  this  view  of  its  scope  and  bearing? On  the 

other  theory  the  bearing  of  these  features  of  the  cas.e,  considered 
as  the  historic  basis  for  an  allegory,  will  be  considered  in  its 
place. 

5.  Understood  literally,  many  of  the  prominent  facts  recorded 
of  the  life  of  this  bride  are  scarcely  supposable;  e.  g.}  that  she 


INTRODUCTION. 


329 


spends  so  much  of  her  time  in  the  care  of  her  flocks,  in  shepherd 
life  in  her  native  desert ; and  that  her  husband  puts  her  to  this 
business  (1 : 8) ; that  on  at  least  two  different  occasions  while  tem- 
porarily in  Jerusalem,  she  roams  about  the  city  in  the  dead  of  night 
in  search  of  her  lost  husband ; and,  worse  still,  is  in  one  of  these 
cases  (5:7)  insulted  and  roughly  treated  by  the  city  watchmen. 
Can  this  be  a scene  in  the  actual  life  of  Solomon’s  favorifce  queen? 

6.  The  passage  (5:1)  certainly  seems  to  speak,  under  the  image 
of  a feast,  of  the  pleasures  incident  to  the  marriage  relation.  UA 
garden  enclosed  is  my  spouse — a fountain  sealed  ” [a  chaste  and 
faithful  wife.]  “I  am  come  into  my  garden,  my  spouse,”  says  the 
king;  “I  have  drunk  my  wine  and  my  milk,”  etc.,  and  then,  most 
remarkably,  he  adds  : “ Eat,  O friends,”  etc.  But  Solomon  surely 
understood  the  incongruity  of  this  when  said  of  the  marriage  rela- 
tion. [Compare  Pro v.  5:  17.] 

7.  I must  concede  some  force  to  the  objection  that  literally  con- 
sidered Solomon  could  not  with  propriety  speak  in  such  exalted 
terms  of  himself  as  he  does  in  this  book  ( e . g.}  in  5 : 10-16).  But 
if  we  suppose  him  here  to  speak  of  the  virtues  and  glories  of  the 
Great  Celestial  Bridegroom,  all  is  right. 

These  considerations  seem  to  me  effectually  to  preclude  the 
literal  construction  and  shut  us  up  logically  to  the  allegorical. 

III.  A third  source  of  testimony  lies  in  the  early  traditional 
interpretation  of  this  book. 

1.  There  is  in  my  view  a strong  probability  that  those  who  in- 
troduced this  book  into  the  sacred  canon  held  its  allegorical  inter- 
pretation, since  I can  scarcely  suppose  that  otherwise  they  would 
have  given  it  a place  there.  Their  views  if  known  on  unques- 
tionable authority  would  of  course  be  decisive,  both  on  the  score 
of  their  own  personal  inspiration  and  divine  guidance  (points 
which  I feel  constrained  to  assume),  and  on  the  score  of  their 
traditional  knowledge  coming  down  from  the  author  of  the  song. 

2.  It  is  a point  of  perhaps  some  importance  that,  according  to 
Josephus,  the  compilers  classed  this  book,  not  in  the  Hagiographa, 
t.  e .,  with  Job,  Psalms,  Proverbs,  and  Ecclesiastes,  but  with  the 
Prophets . This  fact  seems  to  intimate  that  they  gave  the  book  a 
prophetic  significance,  which  of  course  must  imply  its  allegorical 
construction. 

3.  The  testimony  of  the  Chaldee  paraphrast  is  full  and  clear  tc 


330 


INTRODUCTION. 


this  point.  He  calls  it,  “The  songs  and  hymns  which  Solomon 
the  prophet , the  king  of  Israel,  uttered  in  the  spirit  of  prophecy 
before  the  Lord.” It  will  be  seen  that  the  value  of  this  testi- 
mony turns  very  much  upon  its  antiquity.  Unfortunately  this 
point  remains  in  some  doubt.  In  its  written  form,  this  Targum 
[Chaldee  paraphrase]  must  be  placed  after  the  Talmud,  for 
it  contains  allusions  to  it.  [This  Talmud  is  dated  at  differ- 
ent periods  from  the  second  to  the  fourth  century  of  the 
Christian  era.]  Some  of  the  Targums  were  written  out  much 
earlier — that  of  Jonathan  Ben  Uzziel  on  the  Prophets,  shortly  be- 
fore the  Christian  era,  and  that  of  Onkelos  on  the  Pentateuch, 
shortly  after ; but  this  on  the  Songs  is  put  by  some  as  late  as  the 
sixth  century  [Kitto].  But  in  its  oral  form  it  existed  several  cem 
turies  earlier,  the  demand  for  such  translations  from  the  original 
Hebrew  into  a dialect  of  the  Chaldee  having  sprung  up  in  the ‘age 
of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  among  the  exiles  returned  from  Babylon. 
(Neh.  8:  2,  3,  7,  8.)  We  must  dismiss  the  testimony  of  the  Chal- 
dee paraphrast  with  the  remark  that  he  is  abundantly  explicit  and 
positive  in  his  statements — all  we  could  ask,  if  only  he  were  an- 
cient and  therefore  competent  to  give  the  views  of  the  author,  or 

even  of  the  compilers. The  same  may  be  said  of  all  the  Jewish 

authorities  from  the  Christian  era  to  the  age  of  the  Reformation. 

This  voice  is  one,  wholly  in  favor  of  the  allegorical  sense. So  of 

the  early  Christian  fathers.  They  all  held  the  allegorical  sense, 
following  Origen  of  whose  commentary  on  this  song  Jerome 
quaintly  says,  that  whereas  in  his  other  commentaries  he  easily 
surpassed  all  his  competitors,  in  this  he  surpassed  himself.  They 
all  speak  on  this  point  with  no  misgivings  of  doubt.  They  re- 
pelled the  literal  sense  with  indignation  and  abhorrence. It 

would  avail  little  for  me  to  expatiate  upon  the  value  of  their  testi- 
mony. I need  only  say  that  while  I am  constrained  to  attach  some 
importance  to  it,  I can  by  no  means  regard  it  as  decisive. 

IV.  Much  more  important  in  my  view  is  the  testimony  obtained 
from  analogous  imagery  in  other  scriptures  and  from  probable  allu- 
sions made  in  other  sacred  writers  to  this  book. The  nature  of 

this  argument  will  be  readily  understood.  If  it  shall  appear  that.be- 
fore  this  book  was  written,  we  find  few  if  any  clear  cases  of  the  use 
of  human  marriage  to  represent  God’s  relation  to  his  people,  but 
that  after  its  appearance,  this  imagery  became  exceedingly  com- 


INTRODUCTION. 


331 


mon,  we  may  reasonably  infer — (1.)  That  this  sort  of  imagery 
was  congenial  to  the  Hebrew  taste,  and  therefore  with  great  proba- 
bility obtains  in  this  song;  and,  (2.)  That  with  like  probability  this 
song  was  the  special  occasion  of  introducing  and  giving  currency 
to  this  imagery;  and  therefore  it  must  have  been  interpreted  in  this 
figurative  way.  Yet  farther,  if  unmistakable  allusions  to  this  book 
appear  in  other  scriptures,  in  which  allusions  the  figurative  alle- 
gorical sense  is  certain,  then  the  proof  that  these  other  sacred  wri- 
ters accepted  this  song  in  an  allegorical  sense  can  not  well  he  gain- 

sayed. Taking  up  these  several  points  in  their  order,  we  may 

notice  that  in  the  first  public  covenant  formally  made  between  God 
and  the  Hebrew  people  (Ex.  19:  5-8),  there  is  no  allusion  to  the 
figure  of  marriage.  The  only  supposed  allusions,  prior  to  the  writ- 
ing of  this  song,  are  in  the  word  ‘‘jealous”  [“for  I am  a jealous 
God,.”  Ex.  20 : 5,  etc.],  and  in  the  phrase — “ go  a whoring  after  other 
gods”  (Ex.  34:  15,  16. and  Lev.  20:  5,  6 and  17 : 7 and  Num.  14: 
33  and  Judg.  2:  17).  But  very  soon  after  the  appearance  of  this 
song,  the  use  of  this  figure  of  marriage  to  express  God’s  relation  to 
his  covenant  people  became  exceedingly  frequent.  We  have  it  in 
very  strong  form  in  Hosea,  chapters  1-3;  also  in  Isa.  1 : 21  and 
50:  1 and  54:  5,  6 and  62 : 4,  5 and  Jer.  2 : 22  and  3 : 1-4  and  31  : 
22  and  Ezek.  16  and  23,  and  in  expressions  as  follows  : “ The  land 
hath  committed  great  whoredom,  departing  from  the  Lord.”  “For 
she  is  not  my  wife,  neither  am  I her  husband ; let  her  therefore 
put  away  her  whoredoms  out  of  her  sight”  etc.  “ How  is  the  faith- 
ful city  become  a harlot?”  “Where  is  the  bill  of  your  mother’s 
divorcement  whom  I have  put  away  ? ” “ For  thy  Maker  is  thine 

Husband.”  “Remember  then,  the  kindness  of  thy  youth,  the  love 
of  thine  espousals  when  thou  wentest  after  me  in  the  wilderness,” 

etc. The  same  figure  passes  over  into  the  New  Testament  and 

appears  in  Matt.  9:  15  and  22:  2-10  and  Jn.  3:  29  and  Rom.  7 : 
4 and  2 Cor.  11:2  and  Eph.  5 : 25-32  and  Rev.  19  : 7-9  and  21: 
2 and  22 : 17,  thus  : “Jesus  said  to  them,  Can  the  children  of  the 
bride-chamber  mourn  as  long  as  the  bridegroom  is  with  them?” 
“ But  the  days  will  come  when  the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken  from 
them  and  then  shall  they  fast.”  “He  that  hath  the  bride  is  the 
bridegroom,”  etc.  “Ye  are  become  dead  to  the  law  by  the  body 
of  Christ,  that  ye  should  be  married  to  another,  even  to  him  who  is 
raised  from  the  dead.”  “I  am  jealous  over  you  with  godly  jeal- 
ousy, for  I have  espoused  you  to  one  husband  that  I may  present 


332 


INTRODUCTION. 


you  as  a chaste  virgin  to  Christ.”  “ The  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is 
come  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready.  And  to  her  was 
granted  that  she  should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white ; 
for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints .”  “ The  Spirit  and 

the  bride  say  come/  etc. 

Reserving  Ps.  45  for  future  consideration,  we  may  notice  that 
these  allusions  are  very  common  in  the  prophets,  and  not  least  in 
those  who  stand  nearest  to  the  age  of  this  Song,  indicating  that 
this  figurative  conception  became  current,  may  we  not  say  national 
— familiar  to  every  Israelite,  as  if  it  had  been  impressed  upon  the 
national  mind  by  some  such  influence  as  that  of  this  book  by  Sol- 
omon. It  may  at  least  be  said  that  the  free  use  of  this  figure  by  the 
prophets  is  a fact  that  this  Song  of  Solomon,  taken  in  a figurative 
sense,  will  readily  account  for.  It  may  also  be  safely  affirmed  that 
this  current  usage  most  abundantly  proves  that  there  was  nothing 
in  this  conception  distasteful  to  the  Hebrew  mind — nothing  uncon- 
genial to  their  national  character;  whence  it  becomes  at  least 
probable  that  the  figurative  sense  of  this  book  is  the  true  one. 

Our  argument  becomes  far  more  positive  and  decisive  when 

we  come  to  the  point  of  definite  allusions  in  subsequent  writers  to 
this  Song , of  a sort  which  assumes  its  allegorical  sense.  Here 
special  notice  must  be  taken  of  Ps.  45.  This  Psalm  seems  to  have 
been  built  upon  the  Song  of  Solomon.  It  certainly  contains  a num- 
ber of  similar  forms  of  expression  which  have  altogether  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  definite  allusions.  Thus  in  the  caption  of  the 
Psalm,  “Upon  Shoshannim,”  i.  e .,  concerning  lilies — the  symbol  of 
beautiful  women.  Now  this  is  the  very  word  used  repeatedly  in 
this  as  well  as  in  its  primary  sense  in  the  Song  (2  : 1,  2,  16  and 

4:  5 and  5:  13  and  6:  2,  3 and  7 : 2). Further  the  caption 

adds,  UA  song  of  the  loved  ones ,”  which  also  is  a precise  descrip- 
tion of  the  Song  of  Solomon.  Again,  the  subject  of  the  Psalm  is 
declared  to  be  “touching  the  king”  (vs.  1,  5,  11,  13-15),  to  which 
point  the  Song  of  Solomon  corresponds  perfectly  as  may  be  seen 

in  1 : 4,  12  and  7 : 5. This  king  (in  the  psalm)  receives  the 

highest  possible  commendation  for  his  beauty;  v.  2,  “Thou  art 
fairer  than  the  children  of  men” — which  only  reproduces  the 
whole  scope  of  the  Song,  e.  g.,  5:  10.  “My  beloved  is  white  and 

ruddy,  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand.” A special  point  is 

made  of  “ grace  of  lips  ” — useful  and  attractive  speech.  The 
phrase  in  the  Psalm  is,  “Grace  is  poured  into  thy  lips”  (7.  2):  in 


INTRODUCTION. 


333 


the  Song — “ His  lips  like  lilies,  dropping  sweet-smelling  myrrh : his 
mouth  is  most  sweet,  yea,  he  is  altogether  lovely”  (5:  13,  16). 
Again,  the  reference  (Ps.  45 : 7)  to  this  king’s  companions  [u  fel- 
lows ”]  gives  us  in  the  Hebrew  the  same  word  which  occurs  twice 
in  the  Song  (1 : 7 and  8:  13).  “The  flocks  of  thy  companions;  ” 

“the  companions  hearken  to  thy  voice.” The  bridal  procession 

is  prominent  in  both  the  Song  (3 : 6-11,  and  the  Psalm  (vs.  14,  15). 
The  Queen  is  adorned  with  surpassing  splendor  in  the  Psalm  (v. 
9) : “ Upon  thy  right  hand  did  stand  the  queen  in  gold  of  Ophir.” 
“ The  King’s  daughter  is  all  glorious  within  ” (v.  13).  The  en- 
tire strain  of  the  Song  is  the  same,  e.  g .,  4 : 9-11,  with  all  which 
may  be  compared  Rev.  19:  7,  8 — “His  wife  hath  made  herself 
ready;  ” “arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white.” A very  spe- 

cific point  is  the  mention  in  both  of  “myrrh  and  aloes;”  in  the 
Psalm  v.  8;  in  the  Song,  4:  14 — a combination  found  nowhere 

else  in  the  Bible. Resemblances  so  numerous,  so  apparently 

undesigned,  and  at  once  so  general,  covering  the  scope  and  drjft 
of  each  composition,  and  yet  so  minute,  reaching  to  the  definite 
points  of  costume  and  drapery,  seem  to  justify  us  fully  in  the  con- 
clusion that  the  Psalm  is  precisely  the  Song  over  again — the  Song 
condensed,  simplified,  its  religious  significance  and  practical  bear- 
ings brought  out  more  distinctly,  and  the  whole  adapted  to  public 
worship  in  the  sanctuary — set  to  music.  There  can  not  be  the 
least  doubt  in  regard  to  the  allegorical  sense  of  the  Psalm.  If  it 
appears  beyond  reasonable  question  that  the  Psalm  is  built  upon 
the  Song  and  is  only  a condensation  of  it,  modifying  and  repro- 
ducing for  the  special  purposes  of  sacred  worship,  then  the  Song 
must  have  been  understood  in  the  same  allegorical  sense  as  the 

Psalm. Several  other  allusions  to  this  Song  of  Solomon  appear 

in  the  sacred  writers;  e.  g .,  in  Isa.  5:1:  “Now  will  I sing  to  my 
well  beloved  a song  of  my  beloved  touching  his  vineyard.”  The 
terms,  “beloved,”  a “song,”  his  “vineyard,”  all  seem  to  be  bor- 
rowed from  this  Song.  So  when  Paul  says  (Eph.  5 : 27)  that 
Christ  loved  the  church  and  gave  himself  for  it  that  he  might  pre- 
sent it  to  himself  without  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing,  the 
attentive  reader  of  this  song  would  discern  the  allusion — “ Thou 
art  all  fair,  my  love,  there  is  nc  spot  in  thee.”  Naturally  we  may 
suppose  that  Paul  had  his  eye  on  this  book  when  he  said  (2  Cor. 
11 : 2),  “I  am  jealous  over  you  with  godly  jealousy,  for  I have 
espoused  you  to  one  husband  that  I may  present  you  as  a chaste 


334 


INTRODUCTION. 


virgin  to  Christ.”  And  to  name  no  more,  the  revelator  John  also, 
when  he  wrote — “ The  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife 
hath  made  herself  ready.”  uAnd  to  her  was  granted  that  she  should 

be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white.” It  should  not  be 

forgotton  that  this  Song  of  Solomon  was  in  the  Jewish  sacred  scrip- 
tures— was  therefore  in  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  Asaph  (the  writ- 
ers of  Ps.  45),  of  Hosea,  Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  Paul  and  John;  and 
further,  was  not  only  in  their  hands  but  was  with  them  a classic , 
a book  to  be  read  and  read  again ; read  and  admired ; read  till  its 
leading  terms  and  catch-words  (so  to  speak)  became  familiar,  and 
therefore  found  place  in  their  current  thought  and  utterance  when- 
ever they  touch  upon  kindred  themes.  Hence  the  readiness  and 
ease  of  these  allusions  to  its  leading  thoughts  and  expressions; 
hence  perhaps  (let  me  suggest)  the  reason  why  their  references  to 
this  Song  take  this  form  of  passing  allusion  and  the  current  use 
of  its  imagery  and  catch-words  instead  of  distinct  and  formal  quo- 
tation. It  has  been  often  urged  against  the  figurative  sense  that 
no  sacred  writer — certainly  no  New  Testament  writer — has  quoted 
from  it.  If  my  suggestion  is  pertinent,  it  more  than  obviates  this 
objection,  for  an  easy  and  ready  use  of  its  imagery  and  of  its  lead- 
ing terms  and  phrases  is  a more  decisive  attestation  than  a for- 
mal quotation  would  be,  for  it  proves  both  a more  familiar  acquaint- 
ance and  a higher  appreciation. 

1 have  thus  sought  to  open  and  to  examine  briefly,  yet  by  no 
means  exhaustively,  these  four  sources  of  evidence  from  which  the 
proofs  in  my  view  must  be  drawn  for  the  decision  of  this  great 
question  between  the  literal  and  the  allegorical  sense  of  the  book. 

I pass  now  to  notice  somewhat  more  fully  the  principal  objections 
to  the  allegorical  sense,  viz. : 

I.  That  there  is  nothing  in  the  book  to  indicate  an  allegory — 
nothing  that  gives  us  clearly  its  spiritual  intent  and  bearing.  It  is 
said  that  wherever  else  the  Scriptures  speak  of  God’s  relation  to 
his  people  as  being  that  of  the  husband  to  the  wife,  they  make  this 
spiritual  use  of  the  figure  perfectly  plain,  and  then  it  is  asked  : If 
this  song  be  a case  of  the  same  sort,  why  is  not  its  meaning  made 
equally  clear  and  certain  ? 

In  reply  I have  to  say  that  this  objection  for  a long  time  seemed 
to  me  to  have  great  force  and  inclined  me  to  the  literal  construc- 
tion. More  extended  investigation  has  suggested  to  me  the  follow- 
ing points  of  reply,  which  seem  at  least  to  abate,  if  not  even  to 


INTRODUCTION. 


335 


nullify,  its  force.  (I.)  In  the  ancient  East  it  was  the  custom 
during  the  seven  days  nuptial  feast  for  the  bridegroom  (if  equal  to 
it)  to  put  forth  riddles  (Judg.  14;  12-14) — something  of  the  enig- 
matical sort,  to  quicken  the  social  life  and  exercise  the  wits  of  the 
party.  This  song  partakes  of  this  character,  conforms  itself  (we 
may  say)  to  the  usage  current  in  those  times  in  respect  to  nuptial 
songs.  Can  any  good  reason  be  assigned  why,  being  written  pri- 
marily for  his  own  times,  and  for  a people,  therefore,  accustomed 
to  this  style  of  nuptial  song,  it  should  not  appear  in  a form  that 
would  somewhat  task  the  ingenuity  of  the  reader  to  fathom  its 

real  significance? (2.)  I have  said  above,  “if  equal  to  it.” 

Now  Solomon,  of  all  the  men  that  ever  lived,  was  equal  to  it.  May 
we  not  say  that  he  prided  himself  upon  his  unrivaled  sagacity, 
his  keeness  of  intellectual  apprehension,  his  surpassing  in  wisdom 
all  the  kings  and  queens  of  the  earth  when  they  came  to  his  court 
“ to  prove  him  with  hard  questions  ” (1  Kings  10  : 1-3)  ? To  which 
I may  add  as  germain  to  this  point  that  a large  portion  of  tho 
proverbs  from  his  pen  have  this  same  enigmatic  quality — a spice 
of  the  riddle — a deeper  sense  than  lies  upon  the  surface.  That  is, 
Solomon  had  accustomed  himself  to  write  in  this  way.  He  had  a 
taste  for  it  and  had  decided  convictions  of  its  value.  Is  it  not, 
therefore,  entirely  appropriate  that  this  fact  should  have  weight  in 
our  construction  of  this  11  song,’*  and  that  it  should  go  to  obviate 

the  objection  now  in  hand  ? (3.)  Lest  some  of  my  readers  should 

assume  that  this  way  of  writing  with  a recondite  half-concealed 
significance  does  not  befit  the  sacredness  and  solemnity  of  a reve- 
lation from  God  to  man,  I must  briefly  suggest  that  the  parables  of 
our  Lord  are  constructed  on  this  very  principle  and  involve  this 
same  recondite  significance  which  you  must  needs  study  and  search 
out  diligently  if  you  would  reach  their  true  meaning  and  full 

force. (4.)  The  objection  draws  a comparison  between  this 

long  and  very  much  expanded  composition  on  the  one  hand,  and 
on  the  other  the  much  shorter  ones,  like  Ps.  45  or  Isa.  5 : 1-8,  or 
the  still  more  brief  use  of  this  figure  in  the  writings  of  Hosea, 
Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel;  and  argues  that  since  these  more 
brief  compositions  or  allusions  indicate  very  decisively  their  alle- 
gorical sense,  so  the  much  longer  one  of  this  song  ought  to  do.  To 
which  the  proper  reply  is  that  the  longer  the  allegory  the  less  need 
is  there  that  it  should  explain  its  own  meaning  in  literal  terms. 
The  greater  the  number  of  circumstantial  points  given  in  the  alle 

15 


336 


INTRODUCTION. 


gory,  the  more  material  you  have  for  evolving  of  yourself  the  true 
significance.  John  Bunyan  made  a whole  book  out  of  his  story  of 
Christian,  the  pilgrim.  Having  interwoven  throughout  the  whole 
story  numerous  points,  features,  and  circumstances  that  can  have 
their  proper  construction  on  no  other  theory  than  that  of  the  alle- 
gory, delineating  the  life-experiences  of  a pilgrim  Christian,  no 

special  explanation  was  necessary. (5.)  The  allegory  usually 

makes  the  names  given  to  its  prominent  characters  significant. 
Bunyan  more  than  half  disclosed  the  meaning  of  his  allegory  when 
he  gave  his  hero  the  name  Christian,  and  his  wife  the  name  Chris- 
tiana. Hannah  More  gave  a clew  under  the  name  “Parley  the 
Porter,”  to  the  case  of  one  who  ‘parleys  with  the  tempter  and  is 
remiss  in  his  watch  at  the  gate  of  the  castle  as  the  responsible 
u porter  ” never  should  be.  So  in  this  song,  the  names  of  the  two 
leading  personages  are  specially  significant.  The  name  Solomon 
(Heb.  Shelomoh)  means  the  peaceful  one — the  Prince  of  peace. 
(It  occurs  in  the  song,  in  1 : 1 and  3:  11  and  8:  11,  12.)  Who- 
ever will  carefully  read  Ps.  72,  considered  as  written  either  by 
Solomon  himself  or  by  his  father  for  him,  and  bearing  in  mind 
this  significance  of  his  name,  will  see  that  the  very  name  had  an 
outlook  toward  the  person  and  work  of  the  Great  Messiah.  This 
view  will  be  very  much  confirmed  if  we  consider  the  promise  made 
to  David  (2  Sam.  7 : 12-17,  19,  29)  of  a royal  son  whose  rule 
should  be  universal,  his  influence  most  blessed,  and  his  sway  eter- 
nal— a son,  not  Solomon  himself,  but  one  like  him  in  certain  points 
yet  indefinitely  greater.  Hence  Solomon’s  use  of  his  own  name  in 
this  song  may  certainly  be  supposed  to  look  toward  the  typical 
(shall  we  call  it?)  or  rather  the  prophetical  use  of  his  own  name. 

This  becomes  far  more  obvious  when  we  pass  from  the  name 

of  Solomon  to  that  of  his  bride.  Considering  that  this  bride  is 
from  another  nation  and  tribe,  it  seems  to  me  beyond  question  that 
the  name  she  bears  in  this  book  is  not  her  own  original  and  proper 
name,  but  is  given  her  to  indicate  the  sense  of  the  allegory.  It 
is  Shulamith  (twice  occurring)  (6:  13),  which  is  probably  the 
Hebrew  feminine  of  Shelomoh  (Solomon).  That  is,  this  female 
personage  is  Mrs.  Solomon.  If  he  is  the  Prince  of  peace  she  is 
the  Princess  of  peace.  If  his  name  bears  in  it  a prophetic  outlook 
toward  the  great  Messiah,  so  does  hers  toward  the  bride  of  the 
Messiah,  the  Lamb’s  wife. (6.)  The  song  contains  other  indica- 

tions of  its  allegorical  character,  partly  in  points  that  are  incom- 


INTRODUCTION. 


337 


patible  with  the  literal  sense,  as  above  considered ; and  partly  in 
more  direct  allusions  to  its  true  significance,  e.  g.,  in  1:  4,  “The 
upright  love  thee.” 

II.  A second  objection  often  urged  is  that  the  New  Testament 
writers  make  no  quotations  from  this  book,  but  would  have  dona 
so  if  they  had  accepted  its  allegorical  sense. 1 am  free  to  ad- 
mit that  the  apostles  might  have  quoted  from  this  book  in  a way 
which  probably  would  have  satisfied  some  who  are  not  convinced 
by  the  endorsement  they  have  in  fact  given.  Why  they  did  not 
give  some  explicit  declaration  to  decide  this  vexed  question,  they 
have  not  told  us.  But  we  may  say,  (1.)  That  they  do  make  very 
free  use  of  the  figure  which  underlies  the  allegorical  construction 
of  this  song;  and  (2.)  That  they  make  some  quite  obvious  allu- 
sions to  its  prominent  points,  as  has  been  already  shown.  These 
allusions,  so  far  forth  as  they  can  be  identified  and  traced  to  this 
book,  are  thoroughly  in  point  to  prove  its  acceptance  by  the  apos- 
tles as  a spiritual  allegory. 

III.  It  has  been  sometimes  objected  that  the  spiritual  sense  im- 

plies a higher  type  of  spirituality  in  the  author  than  Solomon  seems 
to  have  had ; while  the  literal  sense  is  quite  in  harmony  with  his 
taking  to  himself  seven  hundred  wives. But  this  objection  over- 

looks several  facts,  e,  g .,  that  the  book  bears  internal  evidence  of 
having  been  written  in  his  youth  and  not  in  his  advanced  age ; 
that  in  youth  his  piety  seems  to  have  been  eminently  exemplary 
and  for  aught  that  appears  truly  spiritual,  judging  from  his  choice 
of  wisdom  before  all  other  good;  from  the  zeal  with  which  he  de- 
voted himself  to  the  building  of  the  temple ; from  the  striking  per- 
tinence, simplicity,  and  spirituality  of  his  prayer  at  its  dedication; 
and  if  he  wrote  Ps.  72,  as  is  generally  supposed,  then  we  have  in 
that  psalm  another  index  of  enlarged  and  just  spiritual  views  of 
vital  truth.  Such  a degree  of  piety  as  was  a prerequisite  to  the 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  must  have  had,  for  the  fact  of 
his  real  inspiration  as  a writer  of  the  Divine  Word  can  by  no 
means  be  denied. 

IV.  It  has  been  objected  to  this  book  that  the  sentiments  and 
emotions  of  connubial  love  can  not  be  safely  transferred  into  our 
devotional  feelings  toward  God  or  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  that 
the  study  of  this  song  as  an  allegory  naturally  leads  to  such  a 

transfer  and  is  therefore  dangerous. Some  degree  of  danger  in 

this  direction  to  a certain  o’ass  of  minds  probably  exists.  Hence 


338 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  importance  of  noting  carefully  that  neither  this  allegory  nor 

any  other  is  intended  to  apply  in  all  possible  points. (1.)  Of 

course  the  sexual  relation  is  ruled  out  utterly  and  absolutely. 

(2.)  It  does  not  involve  any  such  equality  between  the  respective 
parties,  God  and  his  church,  as  exists  in  the  marriage  relation  be- 
tween bridegroom  and  bride.  The  latter  relation  is  between  par- 
ties belonging  to  the  same  order  of  existence,  of  the  same  race 
perhaps,  the  same  nationality,  the  same  grade  of  intellectual  and 
social  culture — in  a word,  the  same  grade  of  substantial  worth. 
But  in  all  these  points,  how  utterly  unlike  are  God  and  his  cove- 
nant people ! How  exalted  is  He  in  the  great  scale  of  being  high 
above  all  human  thought ! How  measureless  are  his  dignity  and 
worth ! The  marvel  of  all  marvels  is  that  this  great  God  should 
ever  represent  himself  as  the  Husband  of  his  people ! That  he 
should  stoop  so  low — should  come  down  to  assume  such  relations 
to  beings  so  insignificant,  so  weak,  and  more  than  all  else,  so  vile 

and  unworthy  ! In  this  point  of  light — the  true  one — it  becomes 

unutterably  revolting  to  think  that  the  unworthy  recipients  of  such 

royal  favor  should  abuse  it  to  purposes  of  vain  pride! (3.)  If 

any  Christian  should  press  this  allegory  in  a way  and  to  the  ex- 
tent of  assuming  himself  to  be  the  special  favorite  of  the  Most 
High  and  worthy  to  engross  and  appropriate  his  bridal  affection — 
a feeling  neither  unusual  nor  culpable  in  the  merely  human  rela- 
tion— he  would  most  egregriously  abuse  it.  Perhaps  it  was  to 
guard  against  this  and  kindred  abuses  that  the  Scriptures  never 
employ  this  allegory  with  reference  to  the  individual  Christian,  but 
only  with  reference  to  the  church  as  a whole.  Such  seems  to  be 
the  fact.  In  this  song  the  bride  represents  a plurality  of  persons : 
“Draw  me;  we  will  run  after  thee.”  It  is  to  the  ideal  Zion  that 
the  Lord  says  through  Isaiah,  “ Thy  Maker  is  thy  Husband,”  and 
Paul  speaks  “ concerning  Christ  and  the  church  ” when  he  alludes 
to  this  great  mystery,  exhorting  husbands  to  love  their  wives  even 
as  Christ  loved  the  church  and  gave  himself  for  it  that  he  might 
sanctify  and  cleanse  it  to  become  spotless  and  meet  to  be  presented 
to  himself  as  his  heavenly  bride.  All  notions  therefore  of  a very 
special  exclusive  favoritism  must  be  promptly  ruled  out  and  utterly 
discarded.  Let  us  not  abuse  this  precious  book.  What  could  be 
more  sad  than  to  convert  one  of  our  most  precious  blessings  into 
a rank  and  withering  curse! These  are  the  prominent  objec- 

tions to  the  allegorical  sense. 


INTRODUCTION. 


339 


It  is  pertinent  now  to  inquire  what  principles  shall  guide  die 
Christian  reader  in  his  study  of  this  book,  and  what  points  of 
practical  instruction  will  he  find  here  ? 

It  should  never  be  forgotten  that  the  book  is  an  allegory,  and 
consequently  that  the  laws  of  interpretation  that  govern  the  alle- 
gory should  apply  here.  The  allegory  is  a very  extended  figure  of 
speech — one  great  figurative  conception  running  through  the  whole 
production.  The  most  common  abuse  is  to  try  to  make  the  alle- 
gory teach  too  many  things,  by  making  every  minute  feature  in  the 
costume  and  drapery  teach  its  own  separate  truth.  In  this  song, 
if  the  reader  should  assume  a special  spiritual  sense  in  every  arti- 
cle of  dress,  in  every  allusion  to  fruit  or  flower  or  fragrance,  to  hill 
or  vale,  to  animals,  foxes,  roes,  hinds  of  the  field — he  would  doubt- 
less make  the  book  very  ridiculous.  Such  fancy-work  is  utterly 
out  of  place.  What  has  man  to  do  to  foist  his  fancies  into  God’s 
revealed  word  and  claim  for  them  the  authority  of  divine  inspira- 
tion ? The  only  sensible  way  to  treat  an  allegory  is  to  look  with 

the  utmost  diligence  for  the  great  central  idea,  and  then  to  assume 
that  the  allegory  was  designed  to  illustrate,  embellish,  and  enforce 
this  one  leading,  governing  idea,  and  no  other.  All  the  minor  points 
are  subservient  to  this  and  take  their  places  under  it  in  close  and 
dependent  relation. 

In  this  song  taken  allegorically,  the  great  central  idea  is  that  the 
relation  of  God  to  his  people  in  covenant  with  himself  is  analogous 

to  the  well-known  marriage  relation  in  human  society. It  has 

already  been  said  that  in  this  allegory  the  bride  is  not  precisely 
the  individual  Christian,  but  the  church  as  a whole.  It  seems  to 
me  the  part  of  wisdom  to  give  scope  to  this  fact  so  far  forth  as  to  guard 
us  against  the  abuses  above  indicated,  but  not  so  far  as  to  rob  the 
book  of  its  precious  applications  to  the  heart  and  life  of  the  indi- 
vidual Christian.  For  it  must  be  true  that  in  loving  the  church, 
God  loves  the  individual  Christian  souls  that  compose  it.  In  all 
the  condescensions,  compassions,  tendernesses,  fidelities  of  his  con- 
nubial love,  his  heart  rests  on  the  individuals  that  make  up  the 
church  rather  than  strictly  upon  the  church  itself  as  an  abstract 
ideality. . 

Guided  by  these  principles  we  shall  learn  from  this  allegorical 

song, 1.  That  the  love  between  God  and  his  people  should  be 

reciprocal.  In  the  marriage  covenant  each  party  professes  and 
binds  itself  to  love  the  other.  A sense  of  love  received  should 


340 


INTRODUCTION. 


prompt  to  responsive  love  in  return.  So  a sense  of  God’s  love  to 
us  should  quicken  and  intensify  our  love  to  him. 

2.  In  all  true  marriage  it  is  assumed  that  this  mutual  love  of 
the  parties  is  and  should  be  exceedingly  strong.  One  of  the  first 
lessons  taught  us  in  this  song  is  the  strength  of  the  love  which  God 
bears  toward  his  people.  The  figure  seized  upon  as  the  basis  of 
this  allegory  indicates  and  signifies  the  deepest,  strongest  love 
known  to  human  souls.  The  loving  man  and  the  loving  woman 
are  happy  to  leave  father  and  mother,  brother  and  sister,  and  be 
no  longer  twain,  but  one . Human  bosoms  can  witness  to  no  love 
more  deep,  more  pure,  more  self-sacrificing  than  this.  This  is  a 
simple  fact  of  human  experience  which  it  were  quite  gratuitous  to 
attempt  to  prove.  The  proof  is  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  have 

experienced  its  presence  and  its  power. Now  when  God  takes 

up  this  well-known  human  affection  as  he  does  often  in  his  word, 
and  by  allegory  as  I believe  in  this  song,  and  affirms  it  of  himself 
toward  his  people,  he  testifies  most  explicitly  and  forcibly  to  the 
deep,  intense,  absorbing  love  of  his  heart  toward  his  people. 
Then  let  a sense  of  this  great  love  toward  us  quicken  and  call  forth 
a like  deep,  intense,  and  all-absorbing  love  from  our  hearts  toward 
him.  Why  not?  Would  it  not  be  an  outrage  against  all  pro- 
priety and  all  obligation  to  withhold  it? 

3.  That  it  involves  on  God’s  part  extreme  and  wondrous  conde- 
scension.  The  mightiest  and  proudest  of  earthly  monarchs 

might  descend  to  the  meanest  hovel  in  his  realm  and  take  thence 
a maiden  for  his  royal  queen ; yet  this  would  only  begin  to  indi- 
cate the  sort  of  condescension  we  now  speak  of ; it  could  scarcely 
be  deemed  a unit  of  measurement  by  which  to  estimate  it.  We 
have  no  line  to  measure  the  height  of  God’s  majesty  above  our  in- 
significance— the  glory  of  his  nature  above  the  baseness  of  ours. 
0,  who  can  think  that  one  so  pure,  so  great,  so  glorious,  should 
condescend  to  assume  the  most  endearing  relations  of  love  toward 
beings  like  ourselves ! We  can  give  no  reason  for  it  save  to  say  it 
comes  of  his  pure  and  exhaustless  benevolence,  taking  the  form  of 
compassion  for  the  self-ruined — the  otherwise  hopelessly  lost.  O 
what  inspirations  toward  responsive  love  and  eternal  gratitude 
should  come  to  us  from  God’s  amazing  condescension  and  unutter- 
able love ! 

4.  That  whereas  this  relation  began  on  the  part  of  God  in  his 
love  in  the  sense  of  benevolence,  it  proceeds  to  seek  most  assidu- 


INTRODUCTION. 


341 


ously  and  earnestly  to  lay  the  foundation  in  our  character  for  the 
love  of  complacency.  In  other  words,  it  labors  to  make  us  love- 
able— to  create  in  us  those  qualities  of  character  upon  which  even 
the  pure  and  Holy  One  can  look  with  approbation.  God  comes 
into  these  most  endearing  relations  to  us  in  order  to  reproduce  in 
our  souls  his  own  lost  image  of  purity — his  own  self-sacrificing 
benevolence.  For  this  end  he  shapes  the  discipline  of  his  chastise- 
ments to  u make  us  partakers  of  his  own  holiness  ” (Heb.  12 : 10). 
For  this  he  gives  us  his  Spirit  to  change  us  into  the  same  image 
from  glory  to  glory  (2  Cor.  3:  18) — to  sprinkle  clean  water  upon 
us  that  we  may  be  clean  from  all  our  filthiness  and  idols  (Ezek.  36 : 
25). Now  to  know  that  our  Maker  in  the  capacity  of  “ Hus- 

band” (Isa.  54:  5)  labors  with  us  and  in  us  to  such  an  end,  for 
such  a purpose — how  should  it  set  our  souls  on  fire  with  unutter- 
able longings  and  endeavors  to  realize  in  our  Christian  develop- 
ment this  high  ideal  of  love  and  purity  like  that  of  God  ! 

5.  That  as  the  relation  involves  on  God’s  part  the  most  perfect 
fidelity — a steadfast,  unfaltering  love,  forever  true  to  his  own  cove- 
nant; so  does  it  demand  nothing  less  on  our  part — even  a perfect 
chastity,  the  supreme  and  most  devoted  love  and  homage  of  our 
heart  and  of  our  life.  0 how  should  our  hearts  say  with  Ephraim 
of  old  (Hos.  14:  8),  11  What  have  I to  do  any  more  with  idols?” 
How  should  we  be  jealous  over  our  souls  with  godly  jealousy  lest 
any  lower  love  should  come  in  to  supplant  in  the  least  possible 
measure  the  higher  and  purer  love  that  is  forever  due  to  God  alone ! 

6.  As  in  the  relation  of  husband  and  wife,  little  services,  per- 
petually recurring,  are  the  life  of  love,  so  the  perpetual  cares  and 
services  of  our  great  Maker  and  Husband  toward  his  people  and 
in  truth  toward  every  individual  soul,  should  hold  us  to  perpetual 
service  for  him — a service  done  in  love,  done  as  the  spontaneous 
expression  of  our  love  for  him — a service  that  our  love  should  be 
too  strong  to  suffer  us  ever  to  neglect.  O how  should  the  recipro- 
city of  this  loving  service  on  our  part  toward  God  be  assiduously 
cherished!  It  is  beautiful  as  between  husband  and  wife — as  be- 
tween our  divine  Lord  and  his  affianced  people,  it  is  glorious. 
How  full  of  joy  does  the  most  laborious  and  self-sacrificing  service 
toward  God  become  when  done  in  love,  responsive  to  the  love  that 
glows  in  all  the  service  he  does  for  us  ! 

7.  As  this  song  particularly  indicates  that  this  sweet  relation 
ship  of  love  is  liable  to  be  interrupted  and  disturbed,  and  its  bright- 


342 


INTRODUCTION. 


ness  beclouded  by  remissness  on  the  part  of  the  bride,  let  us  take 
this  purposed  warning.  Perhaps  it  will  be  to  none  of  us  untimely. 
Putting  the  whole  force  of  this  suggestion  into  one  word,  it  would 
say  to  every  one  and  to  all,  Watch  ! 

8.  The  allegory  implies  that  God  confers  great  honor  upon  his 

people  when  he  takes  them  into  this  relation  to  himself. One  of 

the  greatest  of  earthly  kings  finds  a humble  maiden  in  the  southern 
land  and  manifests  for  her  the  most  tender  affection.  She  is  raised 
thereby  to  a place  of  highest  honor.  But  on  this  point  of  the 
analogy  it  is  but  little  that  we  can  say  now — nothing  indeed 
beyond  what  John  has  said  (1  Jn.  3:2):  “It  doth  not  yet  appear 
what  we  shall  be;  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  appear  we 
shall  be  like  him.”  But  even  so  much  should  beget  in  us  perpetual 
endeavors  to  prove  ourselves  worthy,  at  least  to  the  extent  of  un- 
swerving and  unceasing  fidelity. 

9.  And  finally,  as  our  divine  Father  has  seen  fit  to  set  forth  his 
love  for  his  people  and  his  claims  upon  their  love,  under  this  most 
precious  relation,  so  fraught  with  suggestive  analogies,  so  richly 
instructive,  and  withal,  so  intensely  quickening  and  inspiring,  let 
us  guard  most  sedulously  against  abusing  it ; let  us  shut  off  sternly 
every  unhallowed  association  which  may  steal  upon  us  from  the 
peculiar  form  of  these  representations,  that  so,  holding  our  minds 
to  the  manifest  intent  of  the  allegory,  we  may  bring  home  to  our 
heart  all  the  gloriously  impulsive,  quickening,  heavenly  inspirations 
to  love  and  duty  which  it  may  and  should  impart. 

If  we  may  assume  for  this  allegory  an  actually  historic  basis 
instead  of  a purely  ideal  one,  we  may  think  of  Solomon  as  making 
affinity  with  some  Arab  chief  in  the  land  of  the  South  and  taking 
his  daughter  to  wife.  In  fact  he  seems  to  have  entered  into  many 
such  matrimonial  alliances  as  a measure  of  state  policy,  to  cement 
fraternal  bonds ; to  promote  commerce  and  international  friendship. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  we  should  justify  this  policy  as  right  and 
in  harmony  with  the  Mosaic  law.  Suffice  it  that  the  object  seemed 
to  Solomon  important,  so  that  his  motives  may  not  have  been  of 

the  worst  sort. In  its  allegorical  bearings  this  foreign  bride 

may  have  foreshadowed  the  already  predicted  introduction  of 
Gentile  nations  to  constitute  the  great  mass  of  the  living  church  of 
Immanuel. 


THE  SONG  OF  SOLOMON 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  title  and  the  author  having  been  given  briefly,  the  song 
opens  with  its  great  central  thought — the  ideal  Zion  declaring  her 
love  for  her  divine  Lord,  and  giving  utterance  to  her  longings  for 
the  manifestations  of  his  love  in  return.  We  have  her  words  in  vs. 
2-7 ; the  first  response  of  her  Lord  and  King  in  vs.  8-11 ; then  she 
resumes  in  vs.  12-14.  V.  15  is  from  the  bridegroom,  and  vs.  16, 
17  from  the  bride. 

1.  The  Song  of  songs,  which  is  Solomon’s. 

All  that  need  be  said  as  to  the  title  and  the  author  has  had  its 
proper  place  in  the  introduction. 

Shulamith  speaks. 

2.  Let  him  greet  me  with  affectionate  salutations ; his 
love  is  better  than  wine.  3.  Thy  perfumes  are  precious  ; 
thy  name  is  fragrant  with  sweet  odors  effused  ; therefore  the 
virgins  love  thee. 

The  change  of  person  from  “his”  to  “thy”  is  too  common  in 

Hebrew  to  need  remark. The  word  which  I have  translated 

“ effused,”  Fuerst  makes  a proper  noun  : — u Thy  name  is  as  the 
oil  of  Turah”  This  construction  relieves  the  discordance  of  gender, 
but  labors  under  the  objection  that  no  such  place  is  known.  The 
proposed  change  does  not  affect  the  general  sense  of  the  passage. 
According  to  the  sentiments  of  that  age,  wine  and  the  fra- 
grance of  sweet  spices  filled  their  highest  ideal  of  things  delight- 
ful. We  need  not  wonder  therefore  that  the  charms  of  the  beloved 
one  were  set  forth  in  such  terms  in  a nuptial  song.  Translating 
them  into  the  language  of  the  Christian  heart,  we  might  put  it 
thus : “ 0 for  some  manifestations  of  my  Savior’s  presence  and 
love ! His  work  meets  every  want  of  my  nature  and  of  my  case 
as  a lost  soul.  His  name  therefore  embodies  every  excellence;  his 

(343) 


344 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  I. 


favor  is  more  to  me  than  all  the  universe  beside.  Give  me  the  wit- 
ness of  his  love,  and  take  away  all  else  you  will,  yet  I am  more 
than  blessed.  Or  to  borrow  the  pertinent  and  exquisite  lines  of 
Dr.  Withington,  given  (p.  233),  to  show  how  these  sentiments 
might  appear  in  a modern  dress  : 

“ From  all  the  enchantments  of  time, 

Where  bitterness  waits  on  desire, 

Where  pleasure  is  blended  with  crime, 

And  love  is  a vanishing  fire— 

I turn  to  the  Bridegroom  above, 

Whose  looks  can  such  sweetness  impart, 

Whose  kiss  can  our  passions  improve, 

Because  it  encounters  the  heart. 

“ I am  weary  with  phantoms  that  fade,— 

They  cause  me  to  weep  and  repine ; 

I would  be  in  his  garments  arrayed 
Whose  love  is  much  better  than  wine. 

When  the  heart  from  its  idols  is  loosed, 

And  the  soul  for  its  tenant  makes  room, 

Then  his  name  is  like  ointment  effused, 

Affording  the  richest  perfume.” 

4.  Draw  me;  we  will  run  after  thee.  The  king  has 
brought  me  into  his  pavilion  ; let  us  rejoice  and  delight  in 
thee ; let  us  praise  thy  love  more  than  wine.  The  good  must 
always  love  thee. 

As  already  said  in  the  introduction,  the  speaker  here  is  obvi- 
ously not  one  individual  and  certainly  not  one  only  bride,  but  an 
ideal  bride,  representing  many  individuals — fitly  speaking,  there- 
fore, sometimes  in  the  singular  and  sometimes  in  the  plural.  Zion 
speaks  for  herself  as  one,  or  for  all  her  sons  and  daughters  as  in- 
dividuals, alternating  from  the  one  method  to  the  other  at  her  will 
and  her  taste.  Thus  by  its  obvious  plurality  of  persons,  this  verse 
bears  with  great  force  against  the  literal  and  in  favor  of  the  alle- 
gorical construction  of  the  whole  book. It  involves  also  another 

point  bearing  in  the  same  direction  and  with  no  less  force,  viz.,  the 
pertinence  and  fitness  of  the  main  idea — “Draw  me;  so  will  we 
run  after  thee.”  It  will  be  seen  that  this  is  prayer.  Considered  as 
prayer,  it  implies  conscious  weakness  and  a sense  of  dependence 
for  help.  Now  the  thing  to  be  noted  is  that  this  is  precisely  Chris- 
tian experience.  Every  really  Christian  heart  cries  out  to  God, 
saying,  Draw  me  more  and  more  into  a deeper,  purer  love ; apply 
to  my  soul  the  strong  attractions  of  thine  own  love,  by  the  power 
of  thine  own  divine  Spirit; — then  I may  safely  promise  that  I will 
run  after  thee.  But  with  all  my  love,  I am  so  conscious  of  per- 
sonal weakness,  I have  so  much  reason  to  distrust  myself  if  left 
one  moment  upon  my  own  resolutions,  even  the  best  and  holiest  of 
them,  I must  implore  thee  never  to  leave  me  without  thine  own 
perpetual  drawing.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  this  prayerful,  trustful 
cry  for  help  is  the  very  breath  of  the  Christian  soul.  No  words 
could  put  it  mere  perfectly. But  suppose  these  words  applied 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  I. 


345 


to  the  case  of  the  human  bride  and  her  husband.  We  will  sup- 
pose her  to  say — My  dear  husband,  my  heart  is  weak  and  treach- 
erous ; I am  but  too  conscious  of  a very  unsteady  and  unreliable 
love  for  you ; I therefore  beg  you  to  throw  around  me  all  possible 
attractions  to  draw  my  heart;  else  how  can  I be  sure  of  a cheer- 
ful and  steady  affection  for  you  ? Now  is  this  the  usual  tone  of 

bridal  love  ? Do  the  generations  of  human  brides  from  loving  Eve 
downward  agree  that  this  is  a true  copy  of  their  hearts’  experience  ? 
Do  the  happy  husbands  of  earth  all  along  the  ages  bear  their 
united  witness  that  they  hear  such  prayers  and  such  confessions  ? 
If  they  should,  would  not  some  of  them  be  strongly  tempted  to 
respond — You  may  as  well  confess  that  you  have  no  real  love  for 

me  at  all? Here  my  argument  is  that  the  language  is  a perfect 

expression  of  Christian  experience  toward  God,  endorsed  by  all 
Christian  hearts;  but  that  taken  as  the  utterance  of  woman’s  con- 
nubial love,  its  assumptions  are  slanderous,  its  prayer  finds  no 
echo  in  their  experience.  Therefore  Solomon  could  never  have 
put  these  words  into  the  mouth  of  a bride  to  be  spoken  in  their 

literal  sense  and  application. Much  the  same  argument  might 

be  made  upon  the  fitness  of  the  promise — 11  We  will  run  after 
thee.”  Husband  and  wife  walk  hand  in  hand,  arm  in  arm.  The 
picture  of  one  running  behind  and  after  the  other  is  uncivilized, 
not  to  say  monstrous.  But  when  the  voice  of  Christian  devotion 
testifies — “ My  soul  followeth  hard  after  God,”  we  feel  its  propriety ; 
we  welcome  it  into  our  experience. 

5.  I am  dark,  but  fair,  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  like 
the  tenets  of  Kedar,  like  the  curtains  of  Solomon.  6.  Eye 
me  not  with  scorn  because  I am  dark,  because  the  southern 
sun  has  looked  down  upon  me.  My  mother’s  sons  were 
offended  with  me  and  set  me  to  keep  the  vineyard;  my 
own  vineyard  I have  not  kept. 

The  historical  basis  for  this  allegory  which  supposes  the  bride 
to  have  been  the  daughter  of  some  Arab  chieftain  of  a more 
southern  clime  and  of  a people  subsisting  upon  their  flocks  and 
vineyards,  serves  to  explain  some  of  these  allusions,  but  leaves 
some  unexplained.  The  scenes  are  too  remote,  and  perhaps,  we 
must  say,  the  enigma  too  deep  for  us  to  decipher  the  whole.  We 
can  understand  why  the  jealous  damsels  of  Jerusalem  should  look 
with  no  very  pleasant  feelings  upon  this  royal  stranger;  but  we 
have  no  clew  to  the  unpleasant  feeling  toward  her  among  her  own 

mothers  sons;  and  it  is  vain  for  us  to  inquire. She  seems  to 

account  for  her  dark  complexion  by  her  peculiar  exposure  in  this 
out-of-door  service  in  the  vineyards.  Her  own  vineyard  [personal 

beauty]  she  had  not  been  abie  to  care  for  as  she  would. The 

spiritual  application  of  these  minute  particulars  must  in  my  view 
be  fanciful,  hazardous,  and  therefore  unprofitable. 

7.  Tell  me,  thou  beloved  of  my  soul,  where  thou  feedest 


346 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  I. 


thy  flock  and  where  thou  takest  thy  noon-tide  repose;  for 
why  should  I be  as  one  vailed  among  the  flocks  of  thy 
companions  ? 

Both  alike  are  thought  of  here  as  amid  the  scenes  of  shepherd 
life.  She  longs  for  the  presence  and  society  of  her  beloved,  and 
begs  to  know  where  she  may  find  him,  especially  in  his  hours  of 
leisure  and  rest  in  the  heat  of  the  day. — —It  is  generally  agreed 
among  the  best  commentators  that  the  last  clause  of  the  verse 
should  be  translated,  “ Why  should  I be  as  a vailed  one"  and  that 
the  sense  is,  as  a harlot,  a woman  of  suspicious  if  not  even  of  posi- 
tively bad  character.  (Compare  Gen.  38:  14,  15.)  She  could  not 
endure  to  be  at  large  among  the  flocks  of  other  shepherds  when  her 
appropriate  place  and  the  home  of  her  heart  were  with  him  whom 

her  soul  loved. It  scarcely  need  be  said  that  Christian  feeling 

has  its  corresponding  phases — “ 0 that  I knew  where  I might  find 
him !”  Why  should  I suffer  my  heart  to  be  afar  from  thee,  in 
dangerous  contact  with  other  loves? 

Shelomoh  replies. 

8.  If  thou  knowest  not,  O thou  fairest  of  women,  go 
forth  at  the  footsteps  of  the  flock  and  feed  thy  kids  by  the 
tents  of  the  shepherds. 

The  spirit  of  this  seems  to  be — You  will  find  the  presence  and 
the  love  you  seek,  in  the  way  of  duty.  “Feed  my  sheep;”  “feed 
my  lambs;”  so  shall  the  chief  shepherd  delight  in  thee  and  reveal 
his  presence  to  thy  longing  heart. 

9.  To  my  chariot  horse  of  Pharaoh  do  I compare  thee, 
my  love.  10.  Most  fair  are  thy  cheeks  amid  pendant 
chains — -thy  neck  with  gems.  11.  Chains  of  gold  have  we 
made  for  thee  with  studs  of  silver. 

Thus  the  king  expresses  his  admiration  of  her  beauty. Solo- 

mon imported  his  chariot  horses  from  Egypt,  models  of  beauty  in 

form  and  of  grace  in  motion. It  is  noticeable  that  the  king 

himself  provides  for  his  bride  the  richest  ornaments  of  gold  and 
silver  to  set  off  her  personal  beauty.  The  corresponding  spiritual 
facts  are  obvious.  “ By  the  grace  of  God,  I am  what  I am.” 

iShulamith  responds. 

12.  While  the  king  sits  upon  his  divan,  my  spikenard 
diffuses  its  sweet  odors.  13.  As  a bundle  of  myrrh  is  my 
beloved  to  me,  to  be  worn  for  its  fragrance  upon  my  bosom. 
14.  A cluster  of  fragrant  white  flowers  [cyprus]  is  my  be- 
loved to  me  in  the  vineyards  of  Engedi. 

Her  admiration  and  affection  find  expression  in  terms  borrowed 
from  the  sweet  odors  and  lovely  flowers  of  her  native  clime. In 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON — CHAP.  I. 


347 


v.  13  her  thought  is  unexceptionably  pure  and  fine.  Her  beloved 
is  a bundle  of  odoriferous  myrrh  which  she  binds  upon  her  bosom 
to  wear  it  permanently  there,  where  its  perfumes  may  regale  her 
with  perpetual  delight.  Prof.  Stowe’s  translation  gives  the  true 
idea  more  nearly  than  may  be  at  first  supposed — “A  cluster  of 
myrrh  is  my  beloved  to  me — a bouquet  in  my  bosom.”  This  ren- 
dering varies  from  the  precise  thought  of  the  passage  only  in  this, 
that  the  bouquet  is  worn  mainly  for  its  beauty;  this  bundle  of 
myrrh  was  placed  there  for  its  fragrance — admirably  representing 
the  precious  associations  that  cluster  about  the  name  and  memo- 
rial of  Jesus  in  every  Christian’s  heart.  His  very  name  is  fragrant 
with  all  sweet  odors,  exhaling  the  breath  of  heaven.  How  beau- 
tiful and  befitting  that  we  should  bind  it  to  our  bosom  to  wear  it 
there  by  day  and  by  night,  that  we  may  inhale  its  sweet  odors  and 
refresh  our  souls  with  its  quickening  power ! 

Shelomoh  resumes. 

15.  Lo,  thou  art  fair,  my  love ; lo,  thou  art  fair : thine 
eyes  are  doves. 

So  the  original  gives  the  last  clause — thine  eyes  are  to  me  doves — 
gentle,  affectionate,  winning. 

Shulamith  responds  in  the  same  strain. 

16.  Lo,  thou  too  art  fair,  my  beloved  ; yea,  thou  art 
lovely.  Our  couch  is  the  green  turf.  17.  The  beams  of 
our  house  are  these  overhanging  cedars,  its  rafters  these 
branches  of  cypress. 

They  are  abroad  in  the  open  field — a deeply  shaded  grove  their 
house  and  home.  Dr.  Withington  has  not  unaptly  said  : — “ When 
an  Almighty  Savior  becomes  the  Bridegroom,  heaven,  earth,  and 
sea,  the  stars  and  the  sky,  become  the  marriage  chamber  and  all 

the  works  of  nature  glow  with  the  consummation.” The  reader 

will  not  fail  to  notice  that  the  love  portrayed  in  this  song  between 
the  two  parties  is  mutual  and  the  expression  of  it  is  promptly  re- 
sponsive, each  vying  with  the  other  in  terms  of  endearment  and  in 
assurances  of  affection.  So  the  Lord  through  Jeremiah  (2:  2,  3) 
said  of  Israel:  “I  remember  thee,  the  kindness  of  thy  youth,  the 
love  of  thine  espousals,  when  thou  wentest  after  me  in  the  wilder 
ness.  Israel  was  holiness  unto  the  Lord.” 


348 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CLAP.  II. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

Eecipkocal  and  mutual  expressions  of  love  fill  out  this  chapter 
Shulamith  continues : 

1.  I am  only  the  rose  of  Sharon,  the  humble  lily  of  the 
vale. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  bride  compares  herself  to  things 
lowly,  not  lofty ; expressing  a sense  of  modesty,  not  of  pride. 

Shelomoh  responds  : 

2.  As  the  lily  among  the  thorns,  so  is  my  love  among  the 
daughters. 

That  is,  Though  thou  be  the  humble  lily  of  the  vale,  yet  thou  art 
to  me  the  lily  as  compared  wTith  the  thorns,  the  only  beautiful  and 
lovely  object  on  earth.  All  else  is  vile  and  repulsive. 

Quick  as  thought  Shulamith  returns  the  compliment : 

3.  As  the  apple  among  the  trees  of  the  forest,  so  is  my 
beloved  among  the  sons.  Under  his  shade  have  I delighted 
to  sit,  and  his  fruit  has  been  sweet  to  my  taste.  4.  He 
brought  me  into  his  house  of  wine,  his  banner  over  me  was 
love.  5.  Sustain  me  with  grape-cakes  ; refresh  me  with 
apples  ; for  I languish  with  love.  6.  His  left  hand  is  un- 
der my  head;  his  right  enfolds  me. 

So  much  manifested  love  as  v.  4 expresses  affects  the  bride  most 
deeply.  Overpowered  by  her  emotions,  she  sinks  down  into  sleep. 
Here  the  bridegroom,  tenderly  caring  for  her  comfort,  interposes : — 

Shelomoh. 

7.  I charge  you,  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  by  the  roes 
and  the  gazelles  of  the  field,  that  ye  rouse  not  nor  wake  my 
love,  till  she  please. 

This  verse,  which  occurs  twice  elsewhere  in  this  Song  (viz.,  in 
3 : 5 and  8 : 4),  should  be  in  every  case,  “ until  she  please ; ” not 
as  our  English  version  has  it,  “Until  he  please ” — the  gender  in  the 
Hebrew  being  uniform  and  decisive,  showing  that  the  party  spoken 
of  is  the  bride  and  not  the  bridegroom ; the  speaker,  therefore,  is 
the  bridegroom  and  not  the  bride. 

Shulamith  now  speaks : 

8.  The  voice  of  my  beloved: — ’ 1 is  he;  he  comes — leap 
ing  o’er  the  mountains ; bounding  o’er  the  hills.  9.  My 
love  is  like  the  antelope  or  the  young  fawn ; — lo,  there  he 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  II. 


349 


stands  beyond  the  wall,  looking  through  the  window,  glanc- 
ing his  eye  through  the  lattice. 

Some  writers  assume  that  the  bride  is  here  supposed  to  be  asleep 
and  dreaming , the  scenes  narrated  in  vs.  8-17  and  3:  1-4  being 
those  of  her  dreams.  1 see  no  great  objection  to  this  assumption, 
and  on  the  other  hand  I see  no  special  necessity  for  it.  Sudden 
transitions  of  thought  are  entirely  admissible  in  such  poetry  with- 
out the  supposition  of  dreams.  All  we  need  as  fair  interpreters  is 
the  hypothesis  of  a sudden  transition  from  one  poetic  scene  to  an- 
other.  At  this  point  the  bride  has  awakened,  and  now  there 

breaks  upon  her  ear  the  voice  of  her  beloved,  coming  with  the 
speed  of  the  antelope  over  mountains  and  hills  to  meet  her.  The 
scene  is  inspiring ; her  loving  heart  invests  it  with  the  richest  cos- 
tume of  oriental  poetry.  He  looks  through  her  chamber  window 
and  calls  her  forth  to  enjoy  with  him  the  loveliness  of  spring,  in 
the  words  that  follow: — 

10.  My  beloved  spake  and  said  to  me,  Rise  up,  my  love, 
my  fair  one,  and  come  away.  11.  For  lo,  the  winter  is 
past ; the  rains  are  over  and  gone  ; 12.  The  flowers  appear 
on  the  earth : the  time  of  song  has  come ; the  voice  of  the 
turtle-dove  is  heard  in  our  land : 13.  The  fig-tree  spices 

her  green  figs  ; the  blossoming  vines  exhale  their  fragrance  : 
arise  and  come,  my  love  ; my  fair  one,  come  away.  14.  My 
dove  is  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock,  in  the  coverts  of  the  preci- 
pices. Show  me  thy  face;  let  me  hear  thy  voice;  for  thy 
voice  is  music  and  thy  face  is  beauty. 

All  this  is  true  to  nature.  Hearts  that  really  love  delight  to 
make  the  loved  one  happy.  The  feeling  is  that  all  life  is  dull  and 
all  pleasure  tasteless  unless  enjoyed  as  well  by  the  object  of  our 
tender  affection.  But  every  earthly  good  becomes  ten-fold  more  a 
joy  to  us  when  we  may  share  it  with  those  we  love.  These  princi- 
ples of  our  social  nature  are  beautifully  set  forth  in  this  song,  and 
with  them  yet  another,  viz.:  that  the  beauties  and  charms  with 
which  God  has  enriched  the  realm  of  nature — the  music  of 
birds,  the  fragrance  and  beauty  of  flowers,  the  countless  charms  of 
spring  after  the  winter  is  over  and  gone — have  a wonderful  sym- 
pathy with  the  pure  love  which  the  same  Great  Father  has  pro- 
vided for  in  the  social  nature  of  the  sexes  in  their  mutual  relation 

to  each  other. The  thing  to  be  specially  noted  here  is  that  the 

inspired  author  of  this  song  seizes  upon  this  beautiful  exemplifica- 
tion of  wedded  love  to  illustrate  the  deep  and  pure  affection  which 
exists  in  such  richness  and  power  between  God  and  his  redeemed 
people.  God  would  assure  us  of  the  strength  and  tenderness  of 
this  love  on  his  part,  and  would  call  forth  responsive  love  on  our 
part  in  return.  Blessed  are  they  whose  hearts  do  respond  with 
overflowing  soul! In  v.  14  the  bridegroom  seems  to  assume 


350 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  III. 


that  his  bride  is  reserved,  distant,  half-hidden  from  his  view,  and 

he  would  fain  call  her  forth  from  her  hiding  place. In  the 

remaining  verses  of  this  chapter  the  bride  speaks  in  her  own  per- 
son, thus: 

Shulamith. 

15.  Take  us  the  foxes,  the  little  foxes,  that  are  spoiling 
the  vines,  for  our  vines  are  now  in  blossom. 

That  is,  Think  not  of  me  as  distant  and  heartless.  I am  by 
your  side,  in  full  sympathy  with  you  in  all  that  appertains  to  our 
common  life  and  mutual  comfort,  watching  against  our  common 
enemies,  ready  for  any  service  that  may  minister  to  our  mutual 
welfare.  And  not  content  with  this,  her  loving  heart  breathes 
forth  its  loyalty,  saying: 

16.  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I am  his  ; he  is  feeding  his 
flock  among  the  lilies.  17.  When  the  day  breathes  cool 
and  the  shadows  grow  long,  then  return  thou,  my  love,  and 
be  like  the  gazelle  or  the  fawn,  bounding  over  the  craggy 
hills. 

He  spends  the  day  with  his  flocks  in  the  cares  of  shepherd  life. 
Her  yearning  heart  awaits  his  return  at  nightfall,  and  thinks  of 
him  as  gracefully  overleaping  the  hills  in  the  ardor  of  his  warm 
love  to  greet  her  in  their  rural  happy  home.  So  the  Christian 
heart  delights  to  meet  and  commune  with  Jesus  when  the  day  and 
its  labors  are  over  and  darkness  shuts  off  the  outer  world  and 
invites  us  to  soul-communion  with  those  wre  love. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  chapter  opens  with  a scene  in  the  city  (vs.  1-5)  and  closes 
with  another  in  which  the  king  is  seen  coming  up  from  the  land 
of  the  South  where  he  has  wedded  this  rural  bride  (vs.  6-11). 

Shulamith  speaks. 

1.  On  my  bed  in  the  night  I sought  him  whom  my  soul 
loveth ; I sought  him,  but  I found  him  not.  2.  Let  me  rise 
now  and  go  about  the  city ; in  the  streets  and  in  the  broad 
ways  let  me  seek  him  whom  my  soul  loveth.  I sought 
him,  but  I found  him  not.  3.  The  watchmen  who  patrol 
the  city  found  me : — Have  you  seen  him  whom  my  soul 
loveth?  4.  Scarce  had  I passed  them  when  I found  him 
whom  my  soul  loveth  ; I took  hold  of  him  and  would  not  let 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  III. 


351 


him  go  until  I had  brought  him  to  my  mother’s  house — to 
the  chamber  of  her  who  bare  me. 

Literally  understood,  the  scenes  described  here  are  very  im- 
probable, scarcely  supposable.  A young  bride  roaming  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem  by  night  in  the  strange  pursuit  of  her  missing  hus- 
band, and  at  length  arresting  him,  much  as  an  officer  of  justice 
arrests  a culprit;  such  a scene,  whether  in  oriental  or  occidental 
life,  would  be  thought  extravagant  and  romantic.  Moreover,  the 
localities  seem  incongruous,  for  this  scene  is  in  Jerusalem,  but 
her  mother’s  house  is  in  some  remote  southern  land.  The  literal 

sense  labors. But  to  the  Christian  consciousness  every  feature 

is  a matter  of  experience.  God  sometimes  hides  his  face  and 
withdraws  all  sense  of  his  presence.  Some  cherished  sin,  some 
remissness  in  spiritual  watchfulness  and  prayer,  is  the  cause: 
this  painful  sense  of  an  absent  God  and  of  his  expressed  displeasure, 
is  the  result.  The  records  of  Christian  experience  witness,  alas, 
but  too  often,  to  facts  of  which  the  scene  here  put  before  us  is  a 

vivid  illustration. Wearied  with  this  search  through  the  streets 

of  the  city  by  night,  and  at  length  relieved  from  her  painful  solici- 
tudes and  heart-agonies,  she  falls  asleep,  and 

Shelomoh  speaks : 

5.  I charge  you,  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  by  the  roes 
and  by  the  gazelles  of  the  field,  that  ye  rouse  not  nor  wake 
my  love  till  she  please. 

And  now  a sudden  transition  places  before  us  a new  scene. 
Shulamith  seems  to  be  the  speaker. 

6.  Who  is  this  that  comes  up  from  the  wilderness  of  the 

south,  like  columns  of  smoke,  perfumed  with  myrrh  and 
frankincense,  with  all  the  spices  of  the  caravans  ? 7.  Be- 

hold the  couch  of  Shelomoh ! Around  it  are  sixty  valiant 
men  of  the  heroes  of  Israel ; 8.  All  of  them  girt  with  the 
sword,  trained  for  war,  each  with  his  sword  upon  his  thigh 
because  of  dangers  by  night.  9.  A royal  palanquin  has 
king  Shelomoh  prepared  for  himself  of  wood  from  Leba- 
non. 10.  Its  pillars  he  made  of  silver ; its  seat  of  gold  ; 
its  cushions  of  purple ; the  midst  of  it  paved  with  love  by 
the  daughters  of  Jerusalem.  11.  Go  forth,  ye  daughters  of 
Zion,  behold  king  Shelomoh  wearing  the  bridal  wreath  with 
which  his  [rural]  mother  crowned  him  in  the  day  of  his 
nuptials — in  the  day  of  the  joy  of  his  heart. 

The  closing  verse  seems  to  take  us  back  to  the  wedding  scene, 
as  the  verses  that  precede  give  the  bridal  tour ; the  palanquin,  the 
royal  guard,  and  the  magnificent  procession  from  the  rural  home 
of  the  young  bride  to  the  royal  city  of  Zion. 


352 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  IV. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

In  vs.  1-15  the  king  is  the  speaker,  setting  forth  the  beauties 

and  charms  of  his  royal  bride.  V.  16  is  her  response. In  the 

current  strain  of  the  song  the  respective  parties  extol  each  other’s 
charms  as  if  in  a pleasing  rivalry,  laboring  each  to  outdo  the 
other  in  these  mutual  testimonies  to  their  high  appreciation  of 
each  other.  The  reader  will  be  struck  with  the  oriental  and  pas- 
toral cast  of  the  imagery  under  which  these  points  of  personal 
beauty  are  set  before  us.  Shepherd  life  furnishes  a large  share 
of  the  illustrations.  The  standard  of  what  is  deemed  fair  and 
beautiful  is  that  of  the  children  of  the  East  in  those  early  ages  of 
our  race. 

iShelomoh. 

1.  Behold,  thou  art  fair,  my  love;  behold,  thou  art  fair; 
thine  eyes  seen  through  thy  vail  are  doves ; thy  hair  is  like 
a flock  of  goats  which  seem  to  hang  from  the  crags  of  Mt. 
Gilead.  2.  Thy  teeth  are  like  a flock  of  shorn  ewes  as  they 
come  up  from  the  washing,  each  with  twin  lambs  and  no 
barren  one  among  them. 

Here,  as  in  1 : 15,  I give  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew  precisely: 
u Thine  eyes  are  doves;”  not,  Thou  hast  eyes  like  a dove.  The 
poetic  conception  is  full  and  strong.  The  dove  is  the  embodiment 
of  whatever  is  tender,  delicate,  loving:  so  her  eyes  were  best 

described  by  the  one  word,  doves. A charming  sight  to  the 

shepherd  was  his  flock  of  goats,  seeming  to  hang  suspended  from 
the  beetling  crags  of  Mt.  Gilead;  such  was  the  hair  of  the  bride. 
So,  too,  the  perfectly  pastoral  scene  of  a flock  of  ewes,  fresh  from 
their  washing,  with  each  her  twins  attending  like  a setting  of 
jewels;  such  were  her  teeth.  Utility  is  one  element  of  beauty.  A 
barren  ewe  would  be  a deformity  and  a grief — a thing  out  of  order 
and  in  bad  taste. 

3.  Thy  lips  are  a scarlet  thread ; thy  mouth  most  beauti- 
ful ; thy  cheeks  from  behind  thy  vail  are  as  a slice  of  the 
pomegranate.  4.  Like  the  tower  of  David,  built  for  an 
arsenal,  a thousand  bucklers  suspended  from  it,  all  shields 
of  the  heroes — such  is  thy  neck. 

We  might  be  tempted  to  call  this  extravagant,  save  as  we  re- 
member that  under  the  enchantment  of  impassioned  love  nothing 
seems  extravagant. 

5.  Thy  two  breasts  are  as  two  young  fawns,  twins  of  the 
beautiful  roe,  feeding  among  the  lilies. 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  IV. 


353 


The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  in  oriental  usage  the  bosom 
was  uucovered  equally  with  the  neck,  and  hence  it  was  no  offense 
against  modesty  and  delicacy  to  speak  of  it  as  we  would  speak  of 
the  cheeks  or  of  the  eyes.  The  vail  covered  the  bosom  equally 
with  the  face — no  more. 

6.  When  the  day  blows  cool  and  the  shadows  grow  long, 
I will  haste  to  this  mountain  of  myrrh,  this  hill  of  frankin- 
cense. 

The  approach  of  evening  calls  the  shepherd-king  home  to  the 
bride  he  loves — here  thought  of  as  a mountain  crowned  from  base 
to  summit  with  the  richest  spices  of  the  East. 

7.  Thou  art  all  fair,  my  love  ; there  is  no  spot  on  thee. 

8.  Come  thou  with  me  from  Lebanon,  my  spouse  ; yea, 
from  Lebanon  come  thou  with  me  and  look  forth  from 
the  summit  of  Amanah,  from  the  height  of  Shenir^and 
Hermon,  from  the  lairs  of  the  lions,  and  from  the  mountains 
of  leopards. 

Some  have  inferred  from  this  allusion  to  Lebanon  that  Solomon 
had  a country  seat  there  and  laid  this  scene  amid  those  surround- 
ings. Perhaps  so ; and  yet  we  may  connect  this  allusion  by  the 
laws  of  mental  association  with  his  thought  of  his  bride  (v.  6)  as 
herself  a mountain  of  myrrh,  a hill  of  frankincense.  Let  us  think 
of  all  this  as  poetry  and  love,  the  happy  pair  regaling  themselves 
amid  the  charms  of  nature,  each  enjoying  with  double  relish  the 
jointly  shared  happiness  of  looking  forth  from  some  lofty  mountain 
peak  upon  the  glory  of  the  valleys  below.  At  least  such  is  the 
poetic  conception. 

9.  Thou  hast  stolen  my  heart,  my  sister,  my  spouse  ; 
thou  hast  stolen  my  heart  with  one  glance  of  thine  eye,  with 
one  chain  of  thy  neck.  10.  How  ravishing  thy  love,  my 
sister,  my  spouse ; how  much  better  than  wine ; and  the 
fragrance  of  thy  ointments  above  all  the  spices.  11.  Thy 
lips,  O my  spouse,  distill  honey ; honey  and  milk  flow  from 
thy  tongue ; thy  robes  breathe  the  odors  of  Lebanon. 
12.  A garden  inclosed  is  my  sister,  my  spouse ; a spring  in- 
closed, a fountain  sealed. 

A garden  whose  fruits  and  even  its  odors  were  sacred  for  its 
proprietor  alone ; a fountain  sealed,  yielding  its  waters  to  him 
only — such  was  his  beloved  spouse,  chaste  and  true  to  her  vows — • 
to  the  covenant  of  her  God.  So  the  living  church,  so  every  true 
Christian,  yields  the  heart’s  love  to  Christ  supremely,  to  Christ 

alone. Naturally  the  song  at  this  point  expatiates  afresh  upon 

the  charms  of  such  wedded  love.  The  main  source  of  the  imagery 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON- — CHAP.  IV. 


354 


is  an  oriental  fruit  and  flower  garden,  filled  with  the  fragrant  spice 
bearing  plants  of  the  East. 

13.  Thy  plants  are  a paradise  [park]  of  pomegranates 
with  all  most  precious  fruits,  cypress  with  spikenard ; 
14.  Spikenard  and  crocus,  sweet  cane  and  cinnamon,  with 
all  the  trees  of  Lebanon ; myrrh  and  aloes,  with  the  richest 
spices.  15.  A fount  of  the  gardens  art  thou,  a well-spring 
of  living  waters  and  streams  from  Lebanon. 

A living  fountain  bursting  forth  at  the  foot  of  the  garden ; a 
well-spring  of  cold  flowing  waters  like  those  from  the  sides  of 
Lebanon,  fill  out  the  ideal  of  this  paradise  of  spicery  and  beauty 
which  means  simply  the  charms  of  person  and  of  character  seen 

by  the  king  in  his  bride. Here  let  us  for  a moment  turn  our 

thought  to  the  proper  significance  of  this  representation.  God 
delights  in  the  true  piety  of  his  redeemed  and  sanctified  people.  In 
the  <mse  of  the  father  rejoicing  over  his  prodigal  son,  now  alive 
from  the  dead,  penitent  too,  trustful  and  grateful,  we  may  see  the 
reason  why.  The  “joy  set  before  him  for  which  Jesus  endured 
the  cross,”  he  finds  in  the  deep  warm  gratitude,  the  ardent  respon- 
sive love,  the  abiding  trust,  the  honest  and  loving  service  of  those 
who  give  him  their  very  hearts.  When  “ beholding  as  in  a glass 
the  glory  of  their  Lord,  they  are  changed  into  the  same  image,” 
why  should  not  he  love  the  resulting  spirit  and  character  ? I know 
it  is  sad  to  our  heart  [how  much  more  to  his?]  to  think  that  this 
image  of  Christ,  reproduced  in  his  people,  has  such  imperfections. 
O,  how  we  wish  it  were  pure  as  the  pattern  itself,  worthy  of  the 
love  which  has  begotten  it  all ! But  God  employs  himself  in  agen- 
cies of  dicipline  and  agencies  of  his  Spirit  to  make  us  yet  the  more 
“ partakers  of  his  holiness  ” — to  “ sprinkle  us  with  clean  water  that 
we  may  be  clean  ” from  all  moral  filthiness.  The  final  result  will 
be  to  his  overflowing  joy.  Let  us  trust  his  wise  management  and 
thank  him  for  his  faithfulness.  Let  it  be  a perpetual  inspiration 
toward  more  holiness  that  our  Savior  finds  an  object  of  compla- 
cent regard  in  every  grateful  emotion  of  our  souls  toward  him;  in 
every  thought  and  deed  of  love  and  service ; in  all  our  homage,  in 

all  our  sympathy,  in  all  our  trust. At  this  point  and  in  this 

view,  the  prayer  of  the  bride  in  the  closing  verse  is  beautifully 
significant. 

Shulamith. 

16.  Wake,  O north  wind;  come,  O south  ; breathe  upon 
my  garden  that  its  spices  may  exhale  their  fragrance.  Let 
my  beloved  come  into  his  garden  and  eat  his  luscious  fruits. 

As  the  breezes  draw  forth  and  waft  along  the  sweet  odors  of  a gar- 
den of  spices,  so  God’s  Spirit  stirs  the  emotions  of  love,  calls  forth  the 
aspirations  of  faith,  of  prayer,  of  gratitude — indeed,  of  all  holy  affec- 
tions and  purposes.  This  Spirit  is  the  “ wind  that  bloweth  where 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  V. 


355 


it  listeth,”  and  does  its  work  unseen  to  the  eye  of  sense  but.  not 
unfelt  in  the  chambers  of  the  Christian  heart.  How  fitting  that 
when  Jesus  intimates  how  much  he  loves  the  beauty  of  holiness 
in  his  people  and  the  fragrance  of  pure  hearts,  grateful,  loving, 
and  trustfdl,  we  should  lift  up  our  prayer  as  in  the  verse  before 
us — “Wake,  0 north  wind;  come,  0 south  wind;  breathe  upon 
my  garden  that  its  spices  may  exhale  their  odors ; and  then  let 
my  beloved  come  into  his  garden.”  O might  there  only  be  in  it 
some  fruits  of  penitence  and  love  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  in 
which  he  could  find  delight! 


CHAPTER  V. 

Shelomoh  responds. 

1.  I come  into  my  garden,  my  sister,  my  spouse ; I 
gather  my  myrrh  with  my  spices ; I have  eaten  my 
honey  from  the  comb;  I have  drunk  my  wine  with  my 
milk.  Now  eat,  O friends ; drink,  yea,  drink  freely,  O ye 
beloved. 

In  its  literal  aspect  this  passage  must  refer  either  (1)  to  the 
usual  marriage  feast — the  bread  and  flesh,  the  honey,  wine,  and  milk 
provided  so  plenteously  on  such  occasions  ; or  (2)  it  must  repre- 
sent under  the  figure  of  a feast  the  connubial  joys  of  the  wedded 

pair. The  former  is  singularly  unsocial  and  inept — thus:  I 

have  eaten  all  I care  for;  now,  my  invited  guests,  turn  in  and  help 

yourselves  to  all  you  want ! The  second  alternative  is  fully  in 

harmony  with  the  strain  of  the  previous  context — “ A garden  in- 
closed is  my  spouse,  a fountain  sealed  ” — all  delights  are  for  her 
beloved,  and  for  him  only.  As  said  in  the  introduction,  the  un- 
limited invitation  of  friends  to  this  feast  is  one  of  the  features  in 
this  song  which  seem  to  forbid  its  exclusive  and  ultimate  reference 
to  a literal  marriage,  and  demand  the  figurative  or  allegorical  con- 
struction. In  this  construction  the  sense  is  obvious.  As  Jesus 
enjoys  the  communion  and  fellowship  of  love  with  his  Zion  as  an 
ideal  unity,  so  does  he  also  invite  all  his  people  to  come  individ- 
ually and  participate  in  the  wealth  of  this  blessedness.  Who  can 
doubt  that  all  the  holy  in  the  universe  come  into  the  broad  and 
deep  sympathy  of  love  in  admiring  contemplation  of  such  depths 
of  divine  compassion  and  tenderness  for  those  once  lost  but  at 
length  found?  “There  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of 
God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth.”  The  revelations  of  the  love 
of  God  for  lost  men,  made  in  the  gospel  scheme,  will  be  the  joy 
and  the  song,  not  of  saints  from  earth  alone,  but  of  all  the  holy 


356 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  V. 


beings  in  the  universe.  Of  this  pervasive  joy  and  blessedness  our 
passage  may  give  pre-intimations. 

A new  scene  opens — Shulamith  speaks. 

2.  I sleep,  but  my  heart  waketh. The  voice  of  my  be- 

loved, knocking,  saying,  “ Open  to  me,  my  sister,  my  love, 
my  dove,  my  undefiled  ; for  my  head  is  wet  with  dew  ; my 

locks  with  the  drops  of  the  night.” 3.  I have  taken  off  my 

dress ; how  shall  I put  it  on  ? I have  washed  my  feet ; 

how  shall  I soil  them  again? 4.  My  beloved  passed 

his  hand  through  the  window ; my  heart  fluttered  be- 
fore him.  5.  I rose  to  open  to  my  beloved;  my  hand 
dropped  myrrh,  yea,  my  fingers  the  sweet  smelling  myrrh 
upon  the  handles  of  the  bar.  6.  I opened  to  my  beloved, 
but  my  beloved  had  turned  away  and  was  gone ! My  soul 
went  forth  for  one  word  from  him  : I sought  him,  but  I 
found  him  not ; I called,  but  he  gave  me  no  answer.  7. 
The  watchmen  who  patrol  the  city  found  me ; they  smote 
and  wounded  me ; they  tore  off  my  vail — those  watchmen  of 

the  city  walls! 8.  Ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  I adjure 

you  if  ye  find  my  beloved  that  ye  tell  him  I languish  for 
him  with  love. 

The  transitions  of  thought  from  point  to  point  in  this  scene  are 
somewhat  sudden,  yet  on  the  whole  the  sense  is  obvious,  the 
sketching  is  beautiful,  and  the  moral  instruction  of  the  highest 

order. u 1 sleep,  but  my  heart  waketh” — restive,  dissatisfied, 

under  a painful  sense  of  something  wrong  in  this  state  of  moral 
distance  from  God.  Then  how  touching  the  call  to  open  to  her 
beloved ! With  what  patient  discomfort,  with  what  long  suffering 
compassion  had  her  Lord  sought  to  restore  the  disturbed  connu- 
bial relations ; how  had  he  waited  for  her  under  the  chilling  dews 
of  night  to  open  the  door  and  let  him  in  ! Then  the  conflict  of  emo- 
tions in  her  bosom ; on  the  one  hand,  the  pitiful  excuses,  the  slug- 
gish reluctance  to  the  least  effort:  but,  on  the  other,  the  fluttering 
of  the  heart,  the  sense  of  duty,  the  yearnings  of  reviving  love  ! 
How  sad  her  heart  to  find  that  he  had  turned  away  and  was  gone ! 
Some  bitter  experiences  of  grief  and  penitence  must  be  endured 

before  she  can  have  again  the  joys  of  his  presence. All  this  is 

wonderfully  true  to  Christian  experience.  Who  does  not  know  it? 

Next  we  have  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem  saying, — 

9.  What  is  thy  beloved  more  than  any  beloved,  thou  fair- 
est of  women ; what  is  thy  beloved  more  than  any  beloved 
that  thou  shouldest  adjure  us  so? 

The  same  envious  and  sinister  feeling  appears  here  in  the  dam- 
sels of  Jerusalem  that  we  have  seen  before  and  shall  meet  again. 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VI. 


357 


Their  question  however  gives  occasion  to  the  bride  to  answer  in 
good  faith  and  recount  the  virtues,  the  beauties,  and  the  graces  of 
her  beloved. 

iShulamitk. 

10.  My  beloved  is  white  and  ruddy,  the  chief  among  ten 
thousand.  11.  His  head  is  the  purest  gold,  his  locks  are 
bushy,  black  as  a raven.  12.  His  eyes  are  as  doves  by  the 
rivers  of  water,  bathed  in  milk,  reposing  in  full  sockets ; 
13.  His  cheeks  are  beds  of  spices,  aromatic  mounds ; his 
lips  are  lilies,  exhaling  sweet  odors.  14.  His  hands  are 
pillars  of  gold  set  with  gems  of  Tarshish  ; bis  body  is  as 
wrought  ivory,  jeweled  with  sapphires.  15.  His  legs  are 
like  marble  columns,  set  on  bases  of  pure  gold ; his  form 
is  as  Lebanon,  grand  as  its  cedars ; 16.  His  mouth  is  most 
sweet ; yea,  he  is  altogether  lovely.  Such  is  my  beloved — 
such  is  my  friend,  O daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

Carrying  out  the  ideas  of  that  age  as  to  personal  beauty  and 
splendor,  this  portrait  is  exquisite  and  gives  us  a transcendent 
model  of  a prince.  Translating  it  from  the  sensual  and  earthly 
to  the  spiritual,  it  witnesseth  most  admirably  to  the  beauties  and 
glories  of  our  Divine  Redeemer.— — The  reader  will  find  it  refresh- 
ing to  compare  this  description  with  that  given  (Rev.  1 : 12-16) 
of  the  glorified  Jesus  as  he  appeared  to  the  seer  of  Patmos.  This 
is  cast  after  the  ideas  of  royal  splendor  which  prevailed  in  the  age 
of  Solomon.  That  shown  in  Patmos  is,  however,  by  far  the  more 
majestic  and  sublime. 


ooXXoo 


CHAPTER  YI. 

Daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

1.  Whither  has  fhy  beloved  gone,  thou  fairest  of  women  ; 
whither  has  thy  beloved  turned  away?  Let  us  seek  him 
with  thee. 

Shulamith  replies: 

2.  My  beloved  has  gone  down  to  his  garden,  even  to  his 
beds  of  spices,  to  regale  himself  in  the  garden,  and  to  gather 
lilies.  3.  I am  for  my  beloved,  and  my  beloved  is  for  me. 
He  regales  himself  among  the  lilies. 


358 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VI. 


It  is  remarkable  how  naturally  the  assurances  of  mutual  devo« 
tion  between  her  Lord  and  herself  blend  here  with  the  love  of 
nature — the  beauties  of  flowers  and  the  odors  of  sweet  spices. 
Perhaps  this  may  be  a foreshadowing  of  the  joys  of  the  paradise 
above.  If  in  this  world,  so  fearfully  cursed  with  sin,  God  has  yet 
lavished  such  a wealth  of  beauty  and  loveliness,  what  may  we  not 
anticipate  in  that  pure  heaven  where  no  sin  exists  to  demand  an 
expression  of  God’s  displeasure;  where  there  is  nothing  to  impose 
limitations  upon  the  exuberant  fulness  of  God’s  love  of  the  beau- 
tiful, or  upon  his  delight  in  the  varied  and  endlessly  diversified 
bliss  of  his  obedient  children ! 

Shelomoh  resumes: 

4.  Thou  art  beautiful,  O my  love,  as  Tirzah,  comely  as 
Jerusalem,  magnificent  as  a bannered  host.  5.  Turn  away 
thine  eyes  from  me,  for  indeed  they  overpower  me.  Thy 
hair  is  as  a flock  of  goats  which  seem  to  hang  from  the 
crags  of  Mt.  Gilead.  6.  Thy  teeth  are  as  a flock  of  ewes 
which  come  up  from  the  washing,  every  one  with  twin  lambs 
and  no  one  barren.  7.  As  a slice  of  the  pomegranate  are 
thy  cheeks,  seen  through  thy  vail.  8.  There  are  three  score 
queens  and  four  score  concubines  and  virgins  without  num- 
ber. 9.  But  this  one  is  my  dove,  my  undefiled,  the  one  of 
her  mother,  most  dear  to  her  that  bare  her.  The  daughters 
saw  and  blessed  her ; the  queens  and  concubines  praised  her. 

Tirzah  (v.  4)  appears  in  the  history  (1  Kings  15:  21,  33)  as  the 
residence  of  King  Baasha. The  recurrence  of  the  same  expres- 

sions is  a characteristic  feature  of  this  song.  Compare  4 : 1-3  with 

vs.  5-7  in  this  passage. The  allusion  to  queens  and  concubines 

must  naturally  refer  to  those  of  Solomon  himself — else  how  should 
they  be  queens  at  all  ? They  are  introduced  here  apparently  to 
show  that  this  one  is  ranked  and  beloved  far  before  them  all.  The 
allusion  avails  to  rule  out  the  theory  that  the  song  contemplates  a 
case  of  monogamy,  and  that  it  should  be  taken  in  its  literal  sense 
only,  being  designed  to  set  forth  the  joys  of  living  with  one  wife  in 
contrast  with  the  ills  of  living  with  many. 

At  this  point  of  the  scene  Shelomoh  catches  a view  of  his  bride 
and  exclaims  : 

10.  Who  is  this  that  shines  forth  as  the  morning,  fair  as 
the  moon,  pure  as  the  sun,  and  magnificent  as  a bannered 
host  ? 

To  which  Shulamith  answers,  explaining  why  she  is  there. 

11.  I came  down  to  my  nut-garden  to  see  the  green  plants 
of  the  vale — to  see  if  the  vines  wTere  in  blossom  and  the 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VII. 


859 


pomegranates  in  the  flower.  12.  Ere  I was  aware  my  soul 
was  as  the  war-chariot  of  my  noble  people. 

The  charm  of  this  passage  is  the  humble  modesty  of  her  answer, 
considered  as  following  such  expressions  of  admiration,  or  may  we 
not  say,  of  exuberant  panegyric  as  appear  in  v.  10.  O if  the 
children  of  God  were  always  in  the  spirit  of  such  modest  self-appre- 
ciation, would  it  not  be  beautiful  ? I was  only  looking  into  our 
garden  to  care  for  its  welfare  and  to  enjoy  the  opening  flowers  of 
spring  as  the  smiles  of  my  Father’s  love.  But  those  words  of 
thine,  so  significant  of  thy  love  to  me — how  did  they  lift  my  soul 
into  rapture  and  seem  to  bear  me  away  with  overpowering  emo- 
tions ! 

Shelomoh  resumes : 

13.  Return,  return,  0 Shulamith  ; return,  return,  and  let 
us  look  upon  thee. 

To  which  Shulamith  responds : 

Why  should  ye  look  upon  Shulamith  as  upon  a dance  of 
double  bands? 

I regard  this  passage  as  somewhat  obscure,  and  can  not  be  ab- 
solutely certain  that  I have  the  true  meaning.  My  translation 
gives  what  seems  to  be  the  legitimate  sense  of  the  original,  and 
withal  it  is  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  context.  We  see  the 
same  exquisite  modesty  which  shone  so  finely  in  v.  11.  Why 
should  you  scan  my  personal  beauty  so  sharply,  looking  upon  me 
much  as  you  might  upon  a troop  of  dancing  girls  in  double  rows  ? 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Shelomoh  extols  the  beauty  of  form  and  of  person  which  he  sees 
in  his  bride  (vs.  1-9),  to  which  the  bride  replies  (vs.10-13).  The 
dividing  line  seems  to  be  more  precisely  in  the  midst  of  v.  9. 

1.  How  fair  are  thy  sandaled  feet,  thou  chieftain’s 
daughter ! Thy  hips  are  round  like  turned  work  skillfully 
wrought ; 2.  Thy  front  as  a round  goblet  never  lacking 
mixed  wine ; thy  full  form  as  a sheaf  of  wheat  encircled 
with  lilies ; 3.  Thy  two  breasts  like  two  fawns,  twins  of  the 
roe ; 4.  Thy  neck  like  an  ivory  tower ; thine  eyes  as  pools 
of  Heshbon  at  the  gate  of  Bath-rabbim ; thy  nose  like  the 
tower  of  Lebanon  which  looks  out  upon  Damascus.  5.  Thy 
16 


360 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VIII. 


head  surmounting  thy  person  is  as  the  top  of  Carmel ; its 
locks  are  as  purple  hangings  in  which  a king’s  heart  might 
be  fast  bound.  6.  How  fair  art  thou  and  how  sweet,  O 
Love,  in  thy  charms ! 7.  Thy  stature  is  like  the  palm-tree ; 
thy  breasts  as  grape-clusters.  8.  I said,  I will  go  to  this 
palm-tree  and  take  hold  of  its  pendant  boughs — thy  bosom 
as  the  grape-cluster  ; thy  fragrance  as  the  apple ; 9.  Thy 
mouth  like  sweet  wine. 

iShulamith  interposes. 

9.  Let  this  wine  go  (rightly)  for  my  beloved,  gliding 
through  the  lips  of  the  sleeping  ones.  10.  I am  for  my  be- 
loved, and  his  affection  is  upon  me.  11.  Come,  my  be- 
loved, let  us  go  forth  to  the  fields ; let  us  abide  in  the  vil- 
lages. 12.  Let  us  be  up  betimes  to  the  vineyards;  let  us' 
see  if  the  vines  are  in  blossom,  if  the  young  grapes  have 
set,  if  the  pomegranates  have  budded.  There  will  I as- 
sure thee  of  my  love.  13.  The  love-apples  diffuse  their 
fragrance ; at  our  doors  are  all  most  precious  fruits,  new 
and  old,  which  I have  treasured  for  thee,  my  beloved. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  reiterate  that  these  conceptions  and 
illustrations  of  personal  beauty  and  form  are  altogether  oriental  in 
their  cast,  and  can  not  therefore  be  judged  of  in  all  respects  by 
the  standard  of  our  age  and  country.  This  is  wedded  love,  thor- 
oughly mutual  and  promptly  responsive,  such  as  takes  hold  of  the 
deepest  sensibilities  of  our  being.  Here,  too,  as  throughout  this 
exquisite  poem,  it  manifests  the  richest  sympathy  for  rural  life  and 
for  the  thousand  beauties  and  charms  with  which  God  has  invested 

the  face  of  this  fair  world. Need  it  surprise  us  that  God  should 

seize  upon  this  strong  and  rich  affection  of  human  souls  to  illus- 
trate the  love  he  bears  to  his  people  and  the  responsive  love  which 
his  Spirit  begets  in  their  hearts  to  himself  in  return  ? Where  else 
can  a more  vivid  and  perfect  illustration  of  this  spiritual  love  be 
found  ? 





CHAPTER  VIII. 

Shulamith  continues. 

1.  AVould  that  thou  wert  as  my  own  brother  who  had 
nursed  the  same  mother ; then  might  I find  thee  abroad 
and  kiss  thee,  and  men  would  not  despise  me  for  it.  2.  I 
might  lead  thee  and  bring  thee  to  the  house  of  my  mother 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VIII. 


361 


who  should  instruct  me,  and  I might  give  thee  spiced  wine 
to  drink  from  the  fresh  juice  of  my  pomegranates.  3.  His 
left  hand  should  be  under  my  head  ; his  right  should  em- 
brace me. 

The  warm  love  of  her  heart  prompts  her  to  the  caresses  of  affec- 
tion which  in  the  view  of  the  people  would  be  admissible  as  be- 
tween brother  and  sister.  Hence  the  wish  that  her  relation  to 

him  was  of  this  sort. At  this  point  she  is  supposed  to  fall  asleep, 

perhaps  overcome  by  her  emotions,  and  Shelomoh  interposes — 

4.  I charge  you,  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  that  ye  rouse 
not  nor  wake  my  love  till  she  please. 

Other  parties  speak. 

5.  Who  is  this  that  comes  up  from  the  wilderness,  lean- 
ing upon  her  beloved  ? 

By  a sudden  transition,  Shelomoh  reverts  to  the  place  of  his 
bride’s  birth,  which  seems  also  to  have  been  the  place  where  he 
first  made  her  acquaintance  and  solicited  the  love  of  her  heart. 

Shelomoh. 

Under  that  apple  tree  did  I first  solicit  thy  love,  even 
there  where  thy  mother  bare  thee,  where  thou  wast  born. 

By  the  same  coincidence,  Israel  was  born  as  a nation  and  be- 
came the  royal  bride  of  Jehovah  by  special  covenant,  both  at  the 
same  place  and  at  the  same  time,  the  Exodus  and  Sinai  marking 
this  location  and  chronicling  this  time.  (See  Ex.  19  and  Jer.  2: 

2,  3.) This  allusion  brings  out  Shulamith,  expressing  the  ardor 

and  strength  of  her  love  and  praying  that  she  may  be  bound  to 
her  Divine  Husband  in  bonds  that  can  never  be  broken. 

Shulamith. 

6.  Let  me  be  as  a signet  upon  thy  heart,  yea,  as  a signet 
upon  thine  arm,  for  love  is  strong  as  death  ; jealousy  is 
relentless  as  the  grave ; its  coals  are  those  of  burning  fire. 

7.  Many  waters  can  not  quench  love,  nor  rivers  drown  it. 
If  one  should  give  all  the  wealth  of  his  house  for  love,  men 
would  utterly  despise  it. 

In  the  next  two  verses  we  have  the  same  brothers  of  the  bride 
who  appear  in  chap.  1 : 6 — there  putting  her  to  constant  service 

in  the  fields;  here,  inappreciative  and  distrustful. Some  critics 

assume  in  these  verses  a younger  sister  of  the  bride  and  not  the 
bride  herself;  but  the  assumption  seems  to  me  to  lack  support 
The  passage  however  is  obscure,  perhaps  a designed  enigma. 


362 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VIII. 


First  brother . 

8.  We  have  a little  sister  and  she  hath  no  breasts : what 
shall  we  do  for  our  sister  when  one  shall  speak  for  her  ? 

Second  brother. 

9.  If  she  were  a wall,  we  would  build  on  it  a silver 
palace : if  she  were  a door,  we  would  overlay  it  with  boards 
of  cedar. 

The  sense  of  this  seems  to  be — If  she  were  chaste  and  reserved, 
walling  off  all  improper  approaches,  we  might  build  up  a noble 
character,  comparable  to  a palace  of  silver ; but  if  she  were  a door)  too 
easily  approachable,  we  must  needs  barricade  and  strengthen  it  with 
boards  of  cedar.  In  this  construction,  the  thing  most  objection- 
able in  their  spirit  is  their  lack  of  confidence  in  their  sister,  and  their 

thinking  of  her  as  still  a mere  child. To  this  she  indignantly 

replies,  in  their  own  sort  of  figure  and  phrase : 

Shulamith. 

10.  I am  a wall  and  my  breasts  are  as  towers ; so  was  I 
in  his  eyes  as  one  who  finds  favor. 

I am  a wall,  not  a door;  there  is  no  occasion  for  your  suspicious 

insinuations.  I enjoy  my  royal  husband’s  love. Changing  the 

subject  suddenly,  as  a modest  girl  would,  she  continues — 

11.  King  Shelomoh  had  a vineyard  in  Baal  Hamon:  he 
let  it  out  to  vine-dressers.  They  gave  for  its  fruits  a thou- 
sand pieces  of  silver.  12.  My  vineyard  is  under  my  own 
care.  The  thousand  pieces  of  silver  are  for  thee,  O She- 
lomoh, and  two  hundred  for  the  vine-dressers. 

So  far  as  appears  in  these  brief  and  therefore  obscure  statements, 
Solomon’s  contract  brought  him  in  one  thousand  shekels  annually 
[say,  five  hundred  dollars],  but  made  no  stipulation  as  to  the  pay 
of  the  vine-dressers,  and  gives  no  hint  whether  they  squandered 
the  rest  or  put  it  in  their  pockets.  The  bride’s  proposal  is  to  take 
care  of  her  vineyard  herself;  to  give  her  royal  husband  one  thou- 
sand shekels,  and  to  make  a fair  provision  for  her  laborers  besides. 
Every  thing  here  is  definite  and  apparently  both  generous  to  her 
lord  and  just  to  her  workmen.  This  is  an  improvement  on  his 
system. 

This  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  true  love  in  domestic  life.  O,  might 
it  have  its  full  development  in  all  those  works  of  faith  and  labors 
of  love  in  which  Jesus  permits  his  people  to  be  laborers  together 
with  himself! 

Shelomoh  resumes : 

13.  O thou  that  dwellest  in  the  gardens,  the  companions 
are  bending  to  hear  thy  voice ; let  me  hear  it  also. 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON— CHAP.  VIII. 


363 


One  who  takes  so  much  interest  in  gardens,  both  for  the  labor 
and  the  care  of  them  and  for  their  beauties  and  fragrance,  might 
well  be  designated  as  “ Thou  that  dwelleth  in  the  gardens.”  The 

bride  should  take  this  as  a compliment. She  seems  to  have 

been  a general  favorite.  The  king’s  associates  and  friends  find 
it  a pleasure  to  hear  her  voice.  Therefore  the  king  says : Let 
me  also  hear  its  sw^et  tones — its  utterances  of  fidelity,  of  sympathy 
in  our  work,  of  constancy  in  love.  To  which  Shulamith  makes  the 
closing  reply: — 

14.  O haste,  my  love,  and  be  like  the  gazelle  or  the 
young  roe  over  the  mountains  of  spices. 

0 come  to  dwell  forever  with  me — thy  service  my  only  care ; 
thy  presence  my  only  and  perpetual  joy ! 

Thus  closes  this  exquisite  Song,  of  which  one  can  not  easily  say 
whether  most  to  admire  its  poetic  beauty,  its  painting  of  wedded 
love  in  rural  life,  or  its  transcendent  presentation  of  the  love  which 
Jesus  bears  to  his  people,  and  which  they  should,  may,  and  some- 
times do  bear  to  him.  The  latter,  which  I take  to  be  the  ultimate 
thought — the  real  significance  of  the  poem — is  a theme  of  exhaust- 
less interest — the  theme  which  wakens  the  strongest  and  purest 
emotions  ever  known  to  the  Christian  heart  in  this  life — the  theme 
which  is  destined  to  swell  the  song  of  the  redeemed  in  their  eter- 
nal home  of  purity  and  bliss. 


/ 


COWLES’S  NOTES  ON  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT, 


I.  THE  MINOR  PROPHETS. 

1 vol.,  12mo.  $2.00. 

II.  EZEKIEL  AND  DANIEL . 

1 vol.,  12mo.  $2.25. 


III.  ISAIAH. 

1 vol.,  12mo.  $2.25. 

IV.  PROVERBS,  ECCLESIASTES , AND 
THE  SONG  OF  SOLOMON. 

1 vol.,  12mo.  $2.00. 

V.  NOTES  ON  JEREMIAH. 

1 vol.,  12mo.  $2.25. 

By  Rev.  HENRY  COWLES,  D.  D. 


From  The  Christian  Intelligencer,  N.  Y. 

“ These  works  are  designed  for  both  pastor  and  people.  They  embody  the  re- 
sults of  much  research,  and  elucidate  the  text  of  sacred  Scripture  with  admirable 
force  and  simplicity.  The  learned  professor,  having  devoted  many  years  to  the 
close  and  devout  study  of  the  Bible,  seems  to  have  become  thoroughly  furnished 
with  all  needful  materials  to  produce  a useful  and  trustworthy  commentary.11 

From  Dr.  Leonard  Bacon , of  Yale  College . 

“There  is,  within  my  knowledge,  no  other  work  on  the  same  portions  of  the 
Bible,  combining  so  much  of  the  results  of  accurate  scholarship  with  so  much 
common-sense  and  so  much  of  a practical  and  devotional  spirit.11 

From  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Wolcott . of  Cleveland , Ohio. 

“The  author,  who  ranks  as  a scholar  with  the  most  eminent  graduates  of  Yale 
College,  has  devoted  years  to  the  study  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  in  the  original 
tongues,  and  the  fruits  of  careful  and  independent  research  appear  in  this  work. 
With  sound  scholarship  the  writer  combines  the  unction  of  deep  religious  expe- 
rience, and  earnest  love  of  the  truth,  with  a remarkable  freedom  from  all  fanciful 
speculation,  a candid  judgment,  and  the  faculty  of  expressing  his  thoughts  clearly 
and  forcibly.11 

From  President  E.  B.  Fairfield , of  Hillsdale  College. 

“I  am  very  much  pleased  with  your  Commentary.  It  meets  a want  which 
has  long  been  felt.  For  various  reasons,  the  writings  of  the  prophets  have  con- 
stituted a sealed  book  to  a large  part  of  the  ministry  as  well  as  most  of  the  com- 
mon people.  They  are  not  sufficiently  understood  to  make  them  appreciated. 
Your  brief  notes  relieve  them  of  all  their  want  of  interest  to  common  readers- 
I think  you  have  said  just  enough.11 


COWLES’  NOTES-Continued. 


VI.  THE  REVELATION  OF  JOHN. 

1 Vol.,  12mo.  $1.50. 

“ We  do  not  know  where  else  ‘ both  pastors  and  people  ’ can  find  so 
much  judicious  comment  on  the  Apocalypse  within  so  brief  a space.”— 
Bibliotheca  Sacra. 


VII.  THE  PSALMS. 

1 Vol.,  12mo.  $2.25. 

“ The  sweet  singers  of  Israel  have  found  in  Dr.  Cowles  as  congenial 
and  fit  a commentator  as  ever  in  any  language  or  country  undertook 
that  useful  service.” —Congregationalist. 


VIII.  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

1 Vol.,  12mo.  $2.00. 

“ For  actually  meeting  the  wants  of  most  readers  of  the  Pentateuch, 
we  know  of  no  book  better  than  this.”—  The  Churchman. 


IX.  HEBHEW  HISTORY. 

(From  Joshua  to  Esther  Inclusive.) 

1 Vol.,  12mo.  $2.00. 

“ Another  welcome  volume  from  an  author  who  has  done  more  than 
any  man  of  his  generation  to  attract  attention  to  the  study  of  the  Old 
Testament.  A book  of  absorbing  and  often  of  fascinating  interest.  Dr. 
C.  is  destined  to  be  read  for  many  generations  to  come.”— Interior. 


X.  THE  GOSPEL  AND  EPISTLES  OF  JOHN. 

1 Vol.,  12mo.  $2.00. 

“One  may  feel  safe  in  purchasing  any  commentary  from  the  pen  of 
Dr.  Cowles.  No  student  of  the  Scriptures  should  be  without  Dr.  C.’s 
commentaries ; they  are  so  concise,  judicious,  and  spiritual.”— JSashville 
Christian  Advocate . 


XI.  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB. 

1 Vol.,  12mo.  $1.50.' 

This  volume  (1877)  completes  the  Old  Testament. 


LECTURE-ROOM  NOTES. 


VAN  DOEEN’S  SUGGESTIVE  COMMENTARY. 


D.  APPLETON  & CO.,  Broadway,  New  York;  R.  DICKINSON,  T3 
Farringdon  St.,  London. 

The  following  Scholars  are  interested  in  the  Series  : 
GENESIS. — Professor  Beecher,  Auburn  Theological  Seminary. 
BOOK  OF  JOB.— Thos.  Robinson,  D.  D.,  England. 

PSALMS.— Professor  I.  Murphy,  D.  D.,  Belfast  Theological  Seminary. 
ECCLESIASTES  AND  PROVERBS.— L.  Young,  D.  D.,  Yirginia. 
ISAIAH.— Professor  Smythe,  D.  D.,  Londonderry  Theological  Seminary. 
MATTHEW. — Professor  J.  Vernahan,  Ph.  D.,  London. 

LUKE. — W.  H.  Van  Doren,  D.  D.,  Chicago.  2 vols.  ( Now  ready.) 
JOHN. — W.  H.  Van  Doren,  D.  D.,  Chicago.  2 vols.  (Now  ready.) 
ACTS. — W.  R.  Gordon,  D.  D.,  New  Jersey. 

ROMANS. — Thomas  Robinson,  D.  D.,  Morpeth,  England.  2 vols.  (Now 
ready.) 

GALATIANS. — Professor  T.  Croskey,  Londonderry. 

HEBREWS. — Rev.  Thomas  Doggett,  Niagara. 

CATHOLIC  EPISTLES.— J.  Demarest,  D.  D.,  New  Jersey. 


Rev.  Dr.  FAUSSET,  York,  England , the  Commentator. 

I know  no  exposition  of  Scripture  so  terse,  so  suggestive,  and  yet  so  full  and  so 
clear.” 

DEAN  ALFORD,  the  Commentator. 

After  a long,  friendly  letter,  he  apologizes  thus : “ I have  had  time  only  to  read 
sixty  pages.  It  will  be  a most  useful  work.” 

Rev.  CHAS.  LEE,  Havestock  HUl. 

“ The  work  of  Dr.  Van  Doren  contains  the  maximum  of  thought  in  the  minimum 
of  space.” 

THE  HOMILIST,  London. 

“The  idea  of  this  series  is  an  unusually  happy  one.  It  is  preeminently  sug- 
gestive.” 

THE  FREEMAN,  London. 

“ This  work  is  much  after  our  own  heart.  These  volumes  are  among  our  best 
helps.” 

THE  CHURCHMAN,  London. 

“This  work  contains  under  each  sentence  a few  brief,  well-chosen  notes,  which  will 
be  found  of  great  value.” 

SWORD  AND  TROWEL,  Spurgeon , Editor. 

“This  commentary  is  novel  in  its  arrangement,  and  well  sustains  its  title  of 
suggestive.” 


CHRISTIAN  WORLD,  London . 

“Dr.  Van  Doren's  work  is  more  condensed  than  Lange’s,  containing  the  pith  and 
marrow  of  criticism.  It  will  be  prized  by  all  who  love  the  doctrines  of  the  Refor- 
mation.” 

MORNING-  STAR,  London. 

“ In  this  work  are  condensed  the  thought  and  criticism  of  many  volumes.  We 
shall  hail  with  delight  a complete  work  on  this  admirable  plan.” 

J.  C.  RYLE,  D.  D.,  Commentator . 

“ A curious  and  original  work.  It  succeeds  in  supplying  an  astonishing  amount 
of  thought  and  criticism  in  very  few  lines.” 

Rev.  JAMES  HAMILTON,  D.  D. 

“I  am  sure  Dr.  Van  Doren  will  have  the  gratitude  of  all  whose  books  are  few  and 
whose  time  is  precious.” 

Rev.  J.  JONES,  of  Belfast. 

“To  ministers  and  school-teachers  I would  say,  that  they  will  here  find  an  amount 
of  knowledge,  in  my  judgment,  not  to  be  found  in  the  same  space  anywhere  else.” 

W.  L.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D.,  Edinburgh. 

“ I am  much  pleased  with  the  plan,  and  with  the  success  with  which  it  has  been 
carried  out.” 

THE  FORWARD,  London. 

“ This  work  is  cheap,  compact,  and  suited  to  this  hard-working  age.  The  plan  is 
new  and  usefiil.” 

BAPTIST  MESSENGER,  London. 

“ In  ordinary  cases  we  do  not  consult  commentators  in  two  cases  out  of  ten  with 
real  advantage.  But  in  the  1 Suggestive  Commentary  ’ we  have  not  in  a single  instance 
been  disappointed.” 

BRITISH  QUARTERLY,  London. 

“Dr.  Van  Doren,  in  the  form  of  short  sentences,  brings  together  the  gist  of  all  pre- 
vious commentators,  and  supplies  abundance  of  hints  to  those  who  have  but  little 
leisure.” 

ENGLISH  PRESBYTERIAN,  London. 

“To  clergymen  and  students  this  work  is  invaluable.  We  have  brought  the  work 
under  the  special  notice  of  our'  friends  in  private.” 

WESLEYAN  TIMES,  London. 

“ An  excellent  idea,  admirably  worked  out.  We  have  tested  the  work  on  the  Lord’s 
Prayer,  and  we  cordially  commend  it.” 

WESLEYAN  METHODIST  TIMES. 

“ It  is  a work  to  make  men  think,  and  not  save  them  from  thinking.  These  vol- 
umes will  be  welcome  to  many  a student  of  the  Scriptures.  Hard-worked  ministers 
and  Bible-class  teachers  will  be  well  repaid  by  studying  them.” 

THE  INDEPENDENT,  London, 

“ This  is  a remarkable  work,  and  valuable  as  well.  If  there  ever  was  multum  in 
parvo,  it  is  here  found.  The  labor  in  preparing  it  must  have  been  immense.  The 
work  is  eminently  suggestive,  and  will  save  an  enormous  amount  of  time.” 

L.  HALSEY,  D.  D.,  Prof  ess  w Theological  Seminary,  Chicago. 

“Every  page  bears  marks  of  thorough  and  accurate  scholarship,  and  of  patient, 
careful  study.  It  is  the  most  readable  commentary  we  have  ever  met.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  say  things  in  quicker  time  or  narrower  space  than  he  has  said  them.” 

G.  B.  CHEEVER,  D.  D. 

“ It  is  admirable.  The  best  multum  in  parvo  I have  ever  seen.” 

^ PRINCETON  REVIEW. 

“This  work  has  been  highly  recommended  by  the  journals  of  Great  Britain.  It  cer- 
tainly evinces  thought,  labor,  and  learning.” 


CHRIST  IN  MODERN  LIFE. 


SERMONS  PREACHED  IN  ST.  JAMES  CHAPEL,  LONDON. 

By  Rev.  STOPFORD  A.  BROOKE,  M.  A., 

Honorary  Chaplain-in-Ordinary  to  the  Queen. 

I volume,  i2mo.  Cloth Price,  $2.00. 

“Nobly  fearless,  and  singularly  strdng.  . . . Carries  our  admiration  throughout.” 
— British  Quarterly  Review. 

“No  one  can  be  insensible  to  the  charm  of  his  style,  or  the  clear,  logical  manner  in 
which  he  treats  his  subject.” — Churchman' s Monthly. 

“ No  one  who  reads  these  sermons  will  wonder  that  Mr.  Brooke  is  a great  power  in 
London,  that  his  chapel  is  thronged,  and  his  followers  large  and  enthusiastic.  They 
are  fiery,  energetic,  impetuous  sermons,  rich  with  the  treasures  of  a cultivated  imagina- 
tion.”— Guardian. 

“In  the  style  in  which  it  is  written  it  is  beyond  all  praise ; in  clearness  of  diction,  in 
delicate  truth  of  analysis,  in  beauty  and  aptness  of  illustration,  in  earnestness  and  elo- 
quence of  address,  he  reminds  his  reader  continually  of  T.  W.  Robertson,  while  in 
depth  and  range  of  thought,  and  in  profundity  of  view,  he  is  the  superior  of  that  almost 
matchless  sermonizer.  He  unfolds  the  incarnation  of  the  Divine  Son  of  God  in  its  ap- 
plication to  all  needs  and  phases  of  humanity,  in  its  regenerating,  guiding,  forming, 
and  perfecting  graces ; in  its  solution  of  the  spiritual  problems  of  our  human  history ; in 
its  adaptation  for  the  purposes  of  development,  and  sanctification,  and  saving,  and  per- 
fecting discipline  to  all  departments  of  human  life  and  action,  and  all  ages  of  our  pro- 
gressive life,  from  infancy  to  our  birth,  by  death,  into  a higher  life ; in  its  adaptation  to 
individual  progression,  and  to  the  progression  toward  the  good  of  our  being,  of  our 
collective  humanity,  in  a way  most  true,  and  admirable,  and  impressive.  He  pre- 
sents, squarely  and  fully,  the  position  of  Christianity  toward  scientific  research  in  the 
utmost  advancement  which  it  has  reached,  and  draws,  clearly  and  convincingly,  the 
boundary-line  between  scientific  research  and  religious  faith  and  thought,  along  which 
each  may  advance  in  its  own  legitimate  way,  without  calling  in  question  the  rightful 
action,  in  its  own  sphere,  of  the  other.” — Church  Journal. 

“ There  is  a manliness  of  tone,  a vigor  of  illustration,  a beauty  of  language,  and 
the  manifest  beating  of  a loving  heart  in  its  pages,  which  challenge  our  admiration.” 
— Christian  Observer. 

“The  sermons  throughout  are  strong  in  thought,  the  style  frequently  beautiful,  the 
topics  of  lively  interest.  The  book  is  altogether  healthful  and  invigorating.” — Chris* 
tian  Leader. 

D.  APPLETON  & CO.,  Publishers, 

549  & 551  Broadway,  New  York. 


D.  APPLETON  & CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS, 


RELIGIOUS  WORKS 

PUBLISHED  BT 

D.  APPLETON  & COMPANY, 

549  & 551  Broadway,  New  York. 

The  Good  Report ; Morning  and  Evening  Lesson* 
for  Lent . By  Alice  B.  Haven.  1 vol.,  12rao,  318  pages. 
Cloth,  $1.25. 

Thoughts  on  Personal  Religion:  Being  a Treatise  on 
the  Christian  life  in  its  two  chief  elements — Devotion  and  Prao 
tiee.  With  two  new  chapters  not  in  previous  editions.  By 
Edward  Meyrick  Goulburn,  D.  D.  Fourth  American  Edition, 
enlarged.  With  a Prefatory  Note  by  George  H.  Houghton, 
D.  B.,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Transfiguration  in  the  City  of 
New  York.  1 vol.,  12mo.  Cloth,  $1.00. 

Office  of  the  Holy  Communion  in  the  Rook  of 
Common  Prayer • A Series  of  Lectures  delivered  in  the 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist.  By  Edward  Meyrich 
Goulburn,  D.  D.  Adapted  by  the  author  for  the  Episcopal  Ser 
vice  in  the  United  States.  1 vol.,  12mo.  Cloth,  $1.00. 

Sermons  Preached  on  Various  Occasions  during 
the  Last  Twenty  Years . By  Edward  Meyrick  Goul 
burn,  D.  D.  1 vol.,  12ino.  Cloth,  $1.00. 

The  Idle  Word  : Short,  Religious  Essays  on  the  Gift  of  Speech 
and  its  Employment  in  Conversation.  By  Edward  Meyrioi 
Goulburn,  D.  D.  1 vol.,  12mo.  Cloth,  75  cents. 

An  Introduction  to  the  JDevotional  Study  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures • By  Edward  Meyrick  Goulburn,  D.  D. 
First  American  from  the  Seventh  London  Edition.  1 vol., 
12mo.  Cloth,  $1.00. 

dither  of  the  above  sent  free  by  Mail  on  receipt  of  the  l>ri<xv 


